3   1822  01092  5907 


KIT*  Or  CAUFMNU    SAN  DIEM) 

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3   1822  01092  5907 


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SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


THE  PATRIARCH 


tmon 
Cfje 


Ctoo  Stories  of  Jetoisfc  Life 
SJIrtrf)  frank      »       »       n 


from  tbf  German     & 


Sociftp  of  amrrica 


1907 


ipublitatwn 
a*       * 


COPYRIGHT,  1907, 

BY 
THE  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 


CONTENTS 

PACK 

SIMON    EICHELKATZ 9 

THE  PATRIARCH iQ9 

GLOSSARY    429 


SIMON   EICHELKATZ 

SEPTEMBER  9,  1900. 

To-day  I  was  called  to  attend  an  old  man 
who  lives  at  the  Flour  Market,  almost  op- 
posite the  "  New  "  Synagogue.  The  mes- 
senger told  me  I  could  not  possibly  miss  the 
house,  because  the  steps  leading  up  to  the 
old  man's  rooms  were  built  on  the  outside; 
and  this  is  in  peculiar  contrast  to  the  modern 
architecture  prevailing  in  the  city.  In  fact, 
I  do  not  know  whether  another  house  so 
curiously  constructed  is  to  be  seen  anywhere 
else  in  the  place.  And  so  I  found  it  with- 
out much  questioning.  At  any  rate,  I  knew 
of  the  New  Synagogue.  I  have  never  en- 
tered it,  yet  a  soft,  secret  wave  of  religious 
feeling  creeps  over  me  each  time  I  pass  it, 
and  that  happens  frequently.  The  syna- 
gogue lies  on  the  road  to  the  extensive  fac- 
tory quarter  built  up  by  one  of  the  large 
9 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


manufacturers  for  his  employees.  My  pro- 
fessional duties  often  take  me  there. 

The  synagogue! — I  always  look  at  the 
simple  structure,  devoid  of  ornament,  with 
mixed  feelings  of  veneration  and  awe.  I 
hold  tradition  in  high  regard.  After  all  it 
counts  for  something  that  a  man  is  the 
offspring  of  a  pious  race,  which  cherishes 
learning  and  Yichus.  How  does  the  He- 
brew word  happen  to  come  to  me?  The 
synagogue  keeps  its  grip  on  what  belongs 
to  it — and  on  me,  too!  Yet  I  should  not 
be  able  to  pray  within  its  walls — although 
it  was  in  such  a  place  as  this  synagogue  that 
my  father  taught  the  word  of  God. 

In  fact,  is  it  possible  for  us  moderns  still 
to  pray?  And  then  those  remarkable  He- 
brew words,  unintelligible  to  most  of  us 
now — Ovinu  Malkenu!  The  Church  has 
converted  them  into  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the 
most  fervent  of  its  prayers.  Ovinu 
Malkenu!  I  see  myself  a  little  chap  stand- 
ing next  to  my  father.  How  surcharged 
10 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


these  words  with  belief  and  faith  and  hope 
when  spoken  by  him :  Ovinu  Malkenu  chos- 
venu  be-Sefer  Parnossoh  ve-Chalkoloh — 
"  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread !" 

Synagogue  and  church !  Hebrew  or  Ger- 
man or  Latin  ?  The  shrill  call  of  the  Shofar, 
or  the  soft  sense-enslaving  tones  of  the 
organ?  I  believe  modern  man  can  pray 
only  in  the  dumb  speech  of  the  heart. 

It  seems  to  me,  if  I  were  all  alone  in  a 
synagogue,  a  devout  mood  would  come  over 
me;  I  would  pray  there.  In  Florence  this 
happened  to  me  once.  It  was  very  early  in 
the  morning;  I  was  alone  in  a  small  church 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Arno,  Santa  Maria 
del  Carmine,  whose  frescoes,  painted  by 
Masaccio,  declare  the  joy  and  jubilation  of 
man  over  his  beauty  and  greatness.  But,  I 
remember,  the  words  were  Hebrew  that 
sprang  up  in  my  heart,  even  if  they  did  not 
pass  my  lips.  So  the  dumb  language  of  the 
soul  has  its  familiar  tones,  its  words  en- 
deared by  association. 
11 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Truth  compels  me  to  admit  that  it  was 
Simon  Eichelkatz  who  prompted  me  to  put 
these  thoughts  of  mine  down  in  writing. 

My  patient  at  the  Flour  Market!  When 
I  climbed  the  steep  stairway,  thoroughly 
scoured  and  strewn  with  white  sand,  I  little 
suspected  I  should  soon  stand  in  the  pres- 
ence of  one  of  the  most  interesting  persons 
it  had  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  meet. 
The  stairway  led  directly  into  the  kitchen. 
A  long,  lank  individual  received  me  there, 
and  on  my  asking  for  Herr  Eichelkatz,  he 
answered  testily :  "  I  guess  he's  in  the 
floored  room."  At  the  moment  I  could  not 
imagine  what  he  meant.  Then  I  noticed 
that  the  flooring  of  the  kitchen  was  only  of 
cement,  and  I  realized  that  he  meant  to 
convey  that  the  room  in  which  the  patient 
waited  had  a  wooden  flooring. 

"  Will  you  lead  me  there  ?  "  I  asked  po- 
litely. 

"  Lead !  "  with  a  deprecating  shrug  of  the 
shoulders.  "  Why  should  I  lead  ?  It's  right 
12 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


here.  They  must  be  led.  These  new- 
fashioned  people  must  be  led.  Can't  they 
walk  by  themselves  ?  "  At  these  not  very 
friendly  words,  he  pushed  a  door  open  and 
bawled  in :  "  The  doctor  is  here — the  Herr 
Kreisphysikus.  I  should  lead  him  to  you, 
Reb  Shimme.  By  himself  he  would  never 
find  you.  Reb  Shimme,  should  I  drive  him 
in  with  the  white  or  the  black  horse?  It's 
too  far  for  him,  Reb  Shimme,  the  new-fash- 
ioned people  want  to  be  led ;  they  want  to  be 
announced  by  a  vally.  Whether  they  come 
to  a  king  or  to  Reb  Shimme  Eichelkatz,  it's 
all  the  same,  they  must  be  announced." 

All  this  was  accompanied  by  scornful 
chuckles :  and  he  looked  at  me  angrily,  quite 
taken  aback,  when  I  pushed  him  aside  with 
a  sweep  of  my  arm  just  as  he  cried  out 
again  :  "  Herr  Kenig,  the  doctor  is  here !  " 

I  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  the 
"  floored  "  room,  and,  verily,  I  stood  in  the 
presence  of  a  kingly  man,  I  stood  before 
Simon  Eichelkatz. 

13 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


SEPTEMBER  16. 

What  is  it  that  draws  me  to  this  old  man  ? 
I  am  almost  glad  he  needs  my  care  as  a 
physician.  Remarkable  egotism  this  on  my 
part;  but  fortunately  the  sickness  is  not 
serious;  a  slight  indisposition,  such  as  often 
comes  in  old  age.  My  patient  is  well  on  in 
the  seventies,  and  is  really  wonderfully  fresh 
and  vigorous.  A  sudden  spell  of  faintness 
induced  his  servant  to  send  for  me — the 
wrathful,  snarling  servant  who  received  me 
with  so  little  grace  on  my  first  visit.  Now 
I  am  used  to  Feiwel  Silbermann's  quirks  and 
sallies.  I  know  his  intentions  are  not  bad; 
and  then  his  great  merit  in  my  eyes  is  his 
rare  fidelity  to  Simon  Eichelkatz.  After  I 
had  finished  examining  the  patient  on  my 
first  visit,  Feiwel  crept  after  me,  caught 
hold  of  me  as  I  stood  on  the  lowest  step, 
and  anxiously  inquired: 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  Reb  Shimme  ? 
Is  he,  God  forbid,  really  sick?  He's  never 
been  this  way  before.  I've  known  him — 

14 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


may  he  long  be  spared — these  twenty  years, 
but  as  he  was  to-day — " 

Feiwel  tried  to  take  my  hand.  "  I  must 
scold,  nebbich.  That's  what  he's  used  to. 
And  if  I  were  suddenly  to  come  along  with 
fine  manners,  he  might  think,  Chas  ve-Sho- 
lem,  it  was  all  over  with  him.  Now,  I  ask 
you,  Herr  Kreisphysikusleben,  if  a  man  al- 
ways scolds  and  means  well,  isn't  that  as 
good  as  if  a  man  speaks  softly  and  is  false  ? 
A  treacherous  dog  doesn't  bark.  Praised  be 
God,  Reb  Shimme  knows  what  he's  got  in 
me.  Twenty  years  I've  been  with  him, 
since  Madame  Eichelkatz  died.  His  only 
son  is  professor  at  the  University  in  Berlin. 
A  Meshummed,  Herr  Doktor.  Baptized," 
he  added,  his  voice  growing  hoarse.  "  Since 
the  gracious  Madame  Eichelkatz  died,  we 
live  here,  at  the  Flour  Market.  And  he 
never  saw  his  son  again,  Herr  Doktor.  But 
now,  if  he  should,  God  forbid,  get  sick — 
he's  an  old  man — I  don't  know  what  I 
should  do." 

15 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Ah!  So  Simon  Eichelkatz  has  a  skeleton 
in  his  closet,  not  an  every-day  skeleton, 
either.  I  should  not  have  suspected  it  from 
what  I  saw  of  the  gentle,  gay-spirited  old 
man.  As  to  Feiwel,  I  set  his  worries  at 
rest.  I  told  him  the  illness  was  not  serious, 
a  mere  weakness,  not  unusual  in  a  man  of 
Simon  Eichelkatz's  age,  and  it  would  pass 
without  serious  consequences.  Feiwel  gave 
me  a  look  of  such  devout  gratitude  that  I 
was  touched.  "  Of  course,"  I  said,  "  you 
must  be  watchful,  and  must  take  good  care 
of  him,  because  at  his  age  every  symptom 
must  be  taken  into  account." 

"  What,  symtohn  he  has?  "  Feiwel  asked, 
anxious  again.  "  Can  symtohn  become  dan- 
gerous? Is  it  a  very  bad  trouble?  Sym- 
tohn !  "  He  repeated  the  word  several  times. 
"  I've  heard  of  people's  getting  heart  disease, 
or  kidney  trouble,  may  I  be  forgiven  for  my 
sins,  or  rheumatiz,  but  to  get  symtohn!  " 

I  explained  the  meaning  of  the  word  to 
him,  and  he  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief. 

16 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  Praised  be  God,  if  it's  nothing  more 
than  that — I'll  look  out  for  the  symtohns, 
you  can  be  sure  of  that,  Herr  Kreisphysikus- 
leben." 

"  I'll  come  again  to-morrow  to  find  out 
how  Herr  Eichelkatz  is  doing,"  I  said,  "  and 
I  hope  it  won't  be  necessary  to  let  Herr 
Professor  Eichelkatz  know — " 

At  that  moment  it  occurred  to  me  I  had 
never  heard  of  a  university  professor  of 
that  name. 

"  He  isn't  called  Eichelkatz  at  all,"  Feiwel 
whispered  with  spite  in  his  voice.  "  If  a 
man  can  have  himself  baptized,  he  can  throw 
his  father's  name  away,  too.  Why  not? 
What  should  a  man  be  named  Eichelkatz 
for  if  he's  a  professor?  If  he's  a  professor, 
it's  better  for  him  evadde  to  be  named 
Eichner — such  a  name !  " 

Eichner!  Professor  Friedrich  Eichner, 
the  most  powerful  of  modern  thinkers,  the 
philosopher  of  world-wide  renown,  a  son 
of  Simon  Eichelkatz! 

17 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


SEPTEMBER  22. 

I  see  the  New  Synagogue  now  every  day. 
It  was  dedicated  over  forty  years  ago,  but  it 
is  still  called  "  New."  They  had  a  rabbi 
come  from  Berlin  to  dedicate  it,  and  that 
after  their  own  rabbi  had  worked  for  ten 
long  years  to  make  the  building  possible, 
after  he  had  gone  to  great  pains  to  scrape 
the  money  together,  after  his  ardent  appeals 
had  succeeded  in  warming  his  people  up 
to  the  undertaking,  after  he  had  removed 
all  the  difficulties  presented  by  the  authori- 
ties— after  he  had  brought  things  so  far, 
his  congregation  found  it  in  their  hearts 
to  humiliate  him  at  the  crowning  point  of 
his  achievement,  they  found  it  in  their  hearts 
to  set  him  aside  at  the  dedication  in  favor 
of  another. 

Have  honor  and  justice  come  back  to 
you?  Have  the  years  left  their  traces  upon 
you,  O  ye,  whom  I  love,  my  brethren  in 
faith  ?  Forty  years !  New  generations  have 
blossomed  since  those  days  when  pride  and 

18 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


false  ambition  brought  sorrow  to  a  noble 
spirit,  and  sought  to  deprive  him  of  the 
fruits  of  his  labor,  blessed  and  pleasing  to 
the  Lord.  Another  was  permitted  to  take 
his  place  and  consecrate  the  work  he  had 
called  into  being.  On  the  day  of  his  great- 
est glory  they  poured  gall  into  his  soul, 
filled  his  heart  with  bitterness.  But  he  for- 
gave! 

Gradually  I  am  learning  all  sorts  of  stories 
about  the  congregation.  Simon  Eichelkatz 
tells  them  to  me  when  I  visit  him,  and  that 
happens  almost  daily.  It  is  now  one  of  my 
favorite  recreations  to  hunt  up  this  old  man, 
this  wise  old  man;  for  what  he  says  in 
that  easy,  simple  way  of  his  always  awakens 
new  thoughts  in  me.  He  little  suspects  the 
abundance,  the  wealth  of  ideas  that  arise 
and  take  form  in  his  mind.  They  all  well 
forth  so  unconsciously,  the  most  profound 
and  the  most  exalted.  One  day  a  granite 
rock  of  Kantian  philosophy  towers  up  be- 
fore me ;  the  next  day  the  trumpet  tones  of 
19 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


a  Nietzsche  reveille  sound  in  my  ears.  And 
this  feeble  old  man,  who  gives  utterance 
to  these  deep  thoughts,  never  read  any  other 
book  than  the  book  of  life,  life  in  a  small 
town  remote  from  the  bustle  of  the  world, 
life  in  a  Jewish  community,  with  its  intel- 
lectual backwardness  and  provincial  pecu- 
liarities. The  Khille,  it  is  true,  with  its  con- 
centric circles,  its  conservatism,  its  solidar- 
ity, its  self-sufficiency,  was  rich  soil  to  fos- 
ter individuality  and  develop  reserve 
strength.  Nothing  is  wasted  there,  nothing 
consumed  too  quickly  in  those  communities 
thrown  back  upon  themselves,  leading, 
forced  to  lead,  a  life  apart  from  the  rest  of 
the  world.  How  much  that  is  of  import  to 
the  world  has  gone  forth  from  such  com- 
munities !  When  the  seed  had  grown  strong 
and  healthy  in  its  native  soil,  and  was  then 
transplanted  to  fresh  soil,  how  it  blossomed 
forth,  fruit-bearing,  fructifying! 

Now  it  seems  to  me  as  though  Professor 
Friedrich  Eichner  could  not  possibly  have 
20 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


been  of  other  parentage.  The  son,  the  heir 
of  Simon  Eichelkatz !  With  amazement,  with 
rapture  we  listened  to  his  lectures,  to  which 
students  from  all  the  other  departments 
also  crowded ;  and  when  the  world-philo- 
sophies he  unfolded  loomed  before  our  eyes 
in  gigantic  proportions,  a  feeling  came  over 
us  of  shuddering  awe  and  admiration.  Who 
was  this  man?  A  radical,  an  iconoclast. 
And  now,  out  of  the  mouth  of  an  old  man, 
I  hear  ideas,  conceptions,  truths  that  might 
have  laid  the  foundations  for  the  philosophy 
of  the  other,  the  younger,  man.  Not  that 
the  relation  between  them  was  that  of 
teacher  and  pupil;  for  Professor  Friedrich 
Eichner  knew  nothing  of  his  father's  wis- 
dom, and  the  father  knew  nothing  of  his 
son's  philosophic  systems.  The  father  does 
not  mention  his  son — he  probably  is  ignor- 
ant of  his  son's  life,  of  his  son's  importance 
to  science.  Only  once  he  referred  to  him, 
recently,  in  telling  me  about  the  "  New " 
Synagogue.  Sunk  in  thought  he  said: 
21 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  The  first  Bar-Mitsvah  that  took  place 
there  was  my  son's.  I  still  remember  the 
speech  our  Rav  delivered  then — about  the 
love  of  parents  and  fidelity  to  those  who  lead 
us  in  our  youth — Herr  Kreisphysikus,  our 
Rav  was  a  fine,  sensible  man,  but  he  did  not 
understand  just  what  a  child  should  be.  The 
child  should  grow  away  from  us,  above  us, 
larger,  stronger,  and  higher — and  we 
mustn't  ask  anything  of  him,  and  we  mustn't 
say  to  him,  '  Come  and  stay  here  with  me, 
where  it  is  cramped  and  stuffy  for  want  of 
air — enough  air  for  an  old  man,  but  too 
little  for  you.  And  you  shall  not  be  my 
child,  not  a  child,  a  filly,  that  neighs  for 
the  stable  where  its  father  and  mother  roll 
on  the  straw  like  animals.  You  must  keep 
on  growing — you  must  be  a  man,  not  a 
child.'  " 

Simon  Eichelkatz — Friedrich  Eichner! 

My  heart  is  tender,  and  I  love  my  dear 
mother,  whom  a  kindly  fate  has  preserved 
for  me  unto  this  day ;  and  I  bless  and  honor 
22 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


the  memory  of  my  dead  father.  My  opinion 
about  filial  and  parental  relations  is  entirely 
different  from  Simon  Eichelkatz's ;  but  it 
seemed  to  me  as  though  I  were  listening  to 
a  chapter  of  Nietzsche's  Zarathustra.  Never 
did  this  name  sound  in  your  ears,  Simon 
Eichelkatz.  You  never  left  the  Khille,  and 
for  twenty  years  you  have  been  living  alone 
with  your  bodyguard,  Feiwel  Silbermann. 
But  your  son  has  written  great  works  con- 
cerning the  Zarathustra  doctrine. 

SEPTEMBER  24. 

The  members  of  the  Jewish  community 
here  are  beginning  to  look  upon  me  as  a 
queer  sort  of  person.  In  a  measure,  it  is 
the  duty  of  a  new  physician  of  the  Jewish 
belief  to  associate  with  the  "  gentry  "  among 
his  co-religionists.  That  is  what  is  ex- 
pected of  me;  and  certainly  I  ought  long 
ago  to  have  left  my  card  at  the  doors  of  the 
Jewish  families  that  are  well-to-do,  and,  as 
they  think,  aristocratic  and  cultivated.  On  my 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


desk  lies  a  long,  imposing  list  of  persons  of 
consequence,  and  it  is  my  firm  intention  to 
pay  them  my  respects;  my  predecessor  ur- 
gently recommended  me  to  do  so.  "  You 
will  get  into  things  most  quickly,"  he  said, 
"  if  you  make  your  way  among  the  well-to- 
do  Jewish  families.  The  community  has  a 
reputation  from  of  old  for  setting  great 
store  by  culture  and  refinement;  and  what 
better  for  you  in  a  small  out-of-the-way 
place  than  a  stimulus  now  and  then  in  the 
from  of  a  visit  to  some  pleasant  home  ?  The 
evenings  are  long;  you  can't  forever  be 
playing  Skat."  I  certainly  can't,  because  I 
know  precious  little  about  the  game — and 
so  the  cultivated  Jewish  families  are  my 
future  here.  For  the  present  I  have  found 
something  else,  which  gives  me  more  than 
I  can  expect  from  the  stimulus  of  would-be 
aesthetic  Jewish  wives  and  maidens. 

I  dearly  love  my  fellow- Jews.     But  my 
love  for  them  must  not  blind  me  to  their 
weaknesses,  and  among  their  weaknesses  I 
24 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


count  an  assumption  of  culture,  a  pseudo- 
refinement  of  the  intellect,  which  has  taken 
increasing  hold  upon  the  daughters  of  our 
race.  How  often  I  was  disagreeably  im- 
pressed by  them  in  Berlin  when  they  spoke 
about  anything  and  everything,  with  that 
half-culture  which  produces  the  feeling  that 
they  are  not  concerned  with  knowledge,  but 
with  the  effect  to  be  created  by  their  ap- 
parent "  information "  upon  all  subjects. 
What  don't  they  know!  What  don't  they 
want  to  know!  How  often  I  was  tempted 
to  say  to  one  or  another  of  them :  '"  The 
learning  of  many  things  does  not  cultivate 
the  mind;  learn  to  believe  and  to  think." 
And  must  I  repeat  the  same  experience  here  ? 
I  am  uneasy ;  my  predecessor  sentimentalized 
too  much  about  the  "  educated  "  Jewesses. 
Some  of  them,  he  unluckily  told  me,  had 
been  "  finished  off "  in  prominent  educa- 
tional institutions  in  foreign  countries.  I 
know  all  that,  and  I'm  afraid  of  it,  this 
finishing-off  process  of  the  ladies'  semi- 
26 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


naries !  But  probably  there  will  be  nothing 
else  for  me  to  do.  If  the  winter  evenings 
here  are  really  so  long  and  dreary,  I  may 
not  be  able  to  resist  the  torment  of  hearing 
young  lips,  soft  and  rosy  for  kissing,  put 
the  question  to  me :  "  What  do  you  think 
of  Nietzsche's  '  Beyond  evil  and  good,'  "  or 
"  Do  you  think  the  painters  of  the  Quatro- 
cento  and  the  Secessionists  have  anything  in 
common?"  How  that  hurts!  Almost  a 
physical  pain!  At  all  events  it  has  often 
spoilt  my  taste  for  kissing  soft,  rosy  lips. 

If  I  would  seek  wisdom,  if  I  would  drink 
at  the  source  of  life,  here,  in  this  place,  I 
shall  not  go  to  youth,  but  to  old  age. 

I  spent  some  time  again  with  Simon 
Eichelkatz  this  afternoon.  Outside  it  was 
raining  and  storming.  A  raw,  grey  day  of 
autumn,  the  first  this  year.  Up  to  this  time 
the  weather  has  been  good.  Over  the  small, 
quiet  room  a  something  brooded,  something 
contemplative,  genial,  spiritual.  Half  dream- 
like, half  meditative.  Like  the  dying  away 
26 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


of  a  great  melody.  I  wondered  if  Simon 
Eichelkatz  had  ever  heard  of  Stimmungen. 
I  longed  to  put  the  question  to  him.  "  Tell 
me,  Reb  Shimme  "  (that  is  how  I  call  him 
now),  "  when  you  are  here  all  by  yourself, 
in  this  great  silence,  do  you  ever  have  a 
feeling  as  if — as  if — how  should  I  say? — 
as  if  you  were  a  part  of  your  surroundings, 
as  if  everything  that  is  about  you  helped 
along  to  give  form  to  certain  ideas  in  your 
mind?" 

I  had  to  smile  as  I  put  the  question. 
"  Now  say  milieu,"  I  scoffed  at  myself ;  and 
yet  I  never  before  felt  the  significance  of  the 
word  so  strongly  as  in  that  moment.  The 
old  man  looked  at  me  as  though  he  wanted 
to  find  the  meaning  of  the  incomprehensible 
question  in  my  face.  His  gaze,  still  clear 
and  keen,  rested  on  me  thoughtfully,  then 
passed  quickly  through  the  room,  as  though 
this  would  bring  him  enlightenment  upon 
the  relevancy  of  my  question.  Finally,  he 
27 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


said  slowly,  as  though  he  were  formulating 
his  thoughts  only  with  difficulty : 

"  I  hear  the  silence  about  me — is  that  what 
you  mean,  Herr  Doktor  ?  I  hear  the  silence, 
and  so  I  am  not  alone.  My  soul  is  not  deaf, 
and  everything  about  me  speaks  to  me.  And 
the  table  has  a  language,  and  the  chair  on 
which  I  sit,  and  my  pipe,  Herr  Doktor,  my 
long  pipe,  it  talks  a  good  deal — and  the 
Kiddush  cup  here,  and  the  spice-box — I 
wonder  what  they  have  lived  through  and 
have  to  tell  about — and  when  the  sun  shines 
outside  and  peeps  through  the  window,  it's 
one  thing,  and  when  it  rains  like  to-day,  it's 
another."  He  rested  his  head  on  his  hand. 
"  But  the  silence  is  never  dead — it  lives  as 
I  live." 

Friedrich  Eichner's  form  rose  before  me, 
as  it  looked  several  years  ago,  when  I  heard 
him  in  his  lecture  room  speak  on  Zarathus- 
tra's  "  still  hour." 

"  That's  just  what  is  called  Stimmungen, 
Reb  Shimme,"  I  said,  as  in  a  confused 
28 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


dream.     He  nodded  his  head  several  times, 
but  said  nothing  in  response. 

SEPTEMBER  25. 

To-day  Simon  Eichelkatz  told  me  about 
Rabbi  Dr.  Merzbach.  This  is  his  favorite 
topic.  He  finds  the  most  forceful  expres- 
sions when  he  gets  to  talking  about  him. 
"  That  was  a  man !  "  he  exclaims  over  and 
over  again,  "  fine,  clever,  good — much  too 
good  for  the  Parchonim  in  the  Khille.  My, 
how  it  did  look  when  he  came  here!  I  re- 
member it  as  though  it  were  yesterday.  The 
first  Shdbbes  in  Shul — it  was  still  the  old 
Shul — they  little  dreamed  a  time  would 
come  when  there  would  be  a  '  New  Syna- 
gogue.' And  he  built  it.  The  old  one  was 
almost  more  below  the  ground  than  above 
it.  And  that's  the  way  the  people  here  were, 
too.  Black !  Black  of  heart,  black  of  morals ! 
And  first  he  built  a  new  synagogue  in  the 
spirits  of  the  people,  and  then  he  built  a 
synagogue  of  stone  and  wood,  so  that  they 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


could  hold  their  services  in  a  worthy  place. 
That's  what  he  said,  Herr  Doktor,  I  can 
hear  him  preaching  yet ;  and  I  learned  much 
from  what  he  said,  for  I  never  missed  a 
sermon,  and,  besides,  he  was  good  and 
friendly  toward  me  and  spoke  with  me  as 
often  as  he  saw  me.  A  great  scholar — a 
real  Doktor,  not  just  a  Talmid  Chochom; 
he  knew  other  things,  too.  On  that  first 
Shabbes,  the  old  Shul  was  so  full  that  the 
people  stood  out  on  the  street,  and  they  were 
so  quiet,  you  could  hear  every  word.  And 
there  he  preached,  like  Mosheh  Rabbenu 
when  he  came  down  from  Mount  Sinai  to 
the  Children  of  Israel.  Not  that  they  were 
bad,  he  told  them,  but  that  they  must  become 
better.  And  that  they  must  not  let  them- 
selves- be  ruled  by  their  instincts  and  desires, 
but  that  each  one  must  work  away  at  him- 
self to  become  nobler,  more  intelligent,  and 
that  each  one  could  do  this,  because  it  was 
his  Divine  heritage,  which  was  given  to 
every  man  when  God  created  him  in  His 
30 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


image.  And  they  should  be  proud  to  be 
men,  and  for  that  they  should  acquire  the 
dignity  of  man.  It  sounded  glorious;  and 
even  if  they  didn't  understand  him,  they 
were  so  touched,  they  would  cry,  and  say  it 
was  rare  good  fortune  for  the  congregation 
that  such  a  man  had  become  their  Rav. 
People  came  from  all  the  places  near  here 
to  listen  to  the  sermons  of  Doktor  Salomon 
Merzbach;  and  in  the  wine-room  of  Hei- 
mann  at  the  Ring  you  heard  about  nothing 
else.  Whoever  was  fine,  or  wanted  to  be 
considered  fine,  stuck  to  him  at  first,  but 
still  more  the  plain  people  and  the  poor  and 
unfortunate,  because  to  them  he  was  like 
a  messenger  of  God." 

The  narrator  paused  a  while,  as  though 
he  were  letting  the  past  take  form  again  in 
his  mind. 

"  He  was  gentle  with  the  bad,  and  friendly 
and  forbearing  with  the  hardened  and  the 
malicious,  and  he  explained  to  them,  that 
if  it  was  their  will,  they  could  be  good,  be- 
st 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


cause  the  will  was  given  to  man  to  be  exerted 
and  to  be  conquered.  I  was  still  young- 
then,  and  I  did  not  understand  him ;  but  one 
thing  I  did  understand,  that  a  great  and 
good  man  had  come  to  preach  in  our  wilder- 
ness." 

Whence  had  Simon  Eichelkatz  taken  these 
metaphors,  these  conceptions,  these  words? 
I  stood  before  a  great  riddle. 

"  But  later,"  he  continued,  "  I  understood 
what  he  meant.  In  ourselves  there  is  noth- 
ing good  and  nothing  bad;  it  is  only  what 
we  do,  how  we  act  that  determines  the  moral 
worth  of  things."  I  had  to  suppress  an 
exclamation.  I  jumped  up  and  hastily  said 
good-night.  It  was  positively  uncanny  to 
hear  the  new  values,  the  basic  principles  of 
good  and  evil,  conveyed  by  one  so  absolutely 
unsuspecting  of  their  import.  The  Jews, 
without  doubt,  possess  philosophic  instincts. 

When  I  stepped  out  into  the  open  air,  it 
was  still  raining.  Impenetrable  clouds  hung 
low  in  the  heavens,  as  if  the  whole  world 
32 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


would  sink  down  into  the  cold,  trickling  mass 
of  fog.  The  steps  leading  down  to  the 
Flour  Market  were  smooth  and  slippery.  I 
groped  my  way  cautiously. 

"  Verily,  I  say  unto  you :  Good  and  evil 
that  perishes  not — there  is  no  such  thing. 
Out  of  itself  it  must  always  reconquer  it- 
self." 

I  said  these  words  half  aloud.  I  shivered, 
and  worn  and  weary  I  crept  home. 

SEPTEMBER  26. 

Now  I  know  about  how  Dr.  Salomon 
Merzbach  looked.  Simon  Eichelkatz  owns 
an  old  daguerreotype  of  him,  which  he  cher- 
ishes carefully  and  honors  as  a  holy  relic. 
He  showed  it  to  me  when  I  was  there  this 
morning.  On  the  shining,  mirror-like  sur- 
face, the  features  were  almost  obliterated; 
but  when  I  shaded  it  with  my  hand,  they 
came  out  more  distinctly.  A  fine,  noble  face, 
a  lovable  expression,  and  endlessly  good. 
In  the  eyes  a  gleam  as  of  hidden  scorn,  but 

33 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


benevolence,  too,  and  good  humor — perhaps 
some  sadness.  He  looks,  not  as  one  who 
scoffs  at  the  weaknesses  of  his  fellow-men, 
but  as  one  who  pities  them,  sympathizes  with 
them.  The  supernal  humor  of  the  wise  man 
plays  about  the  strong  mouth  with  its  some- 
what sensuous  lips.  In  studying  the  fea- 
tures, one  feels  the  greatness  and  goodness 
of  a  pure  nature.  A  narrow  line  of  beard 
frames  the  face  and  rounds  off  under  the 
strong  chin,  giving  the  countenance  a  clerical 
expression,  reminding  one  more  of  a  pastor 
than  of  a  rabbi. 

It  was  as  though  Simon  Eichelkatz  had 
guessed  the  tenor  of  my  thoughts;  for  he 
suddenly  said: 

"  What  a  fuss  there  was  about  the  beard ! 
The  Orthodox  raged,  '  A  Rav  should  wear 
a  smooth  face ! '  '  He  looks  as  though  he 
were  shaved ! '  they  screamed,  although  they 
knew  perfectly  well  that  a  smooth  skin  can 
be  gotten  without  a  knife,  with  aurum — 
excuse  me,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  aurum- 
34 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


stinkum  is  what  we  always  called  it  when  we 
were  children.  But  the  Orthodox  wouldn't 
let  on  they  knew  anything  about — stinkum ! 
And  how  they  did  bother  him  on  account  of 
his  beard  and  his  tolerance !  Right  after  his 
first  great  speech — I  told  you  of  it — they 
got  together  in  the  afternoon  at  Sholosh 
Sudes,  at  Reb  Dovidel  Kessler's,  and  began 
to  agitate  against  him.  '  What  nonsense,' 
they  screamed,  '  there  is  no  good  and  no 
evil!  He's  meshugge!  What  sort  of  Choch- 
mes  is  that  ?  And  he  wears  a  new-fashioned 
beard,  like  a — priest,  and  a  gown  and  a  cap 
— and  the  Talles  as  narrow  as  a  necktie — 
that  wants  to  be  a  Rav.' ' 

That  very  day  an  opposition  party  was 
formed,  which  was  against  all  the  changes 
and  necessary  reforms  Dr.  Merzbach  intro- 
duced. They  worked  in  secret,  like  a  mole 
underground,  for  no  opposition  dared  show 
itself  openly,  because  the  richer  and  more 
intelligent  in  the  congregation  stuck  to  him. 
The  young  people  especially  were  his  faith- 
36 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


ful  followers.  On  the  Saturdays  when  he 
preached,  the  synagogue  was  always  filled 
to  overflowing.  Besides,  in  the  afternoon 
he  got  together  in  his  house  all  who  wanted 
to  be  enlightened  on  religious  and  moral 
questions;  and  they  flocked  to  him  like 
disciples  to  their  master — to  this  man,  who 
wanted  to  throw  light  upon  the  darkness  of 
their  ideas  and  notions.  A  nickname  was 
soon  coined  for  his  opponents;  they  were 
called  the  "  Saints."  An  underhand,  dou- 
ble-tongued, cringing,  vile  lot  they  were  in 
their  libellous  attacks  upon  Dr.  Merzbach. 

In  telling  me  these  things,  even  at  this 
late  day  something  like  righteous  indigna- 
tion came  over  Simon  Eichelkatz,  usually  so 
tranquil  and  unruffled. 

"  And  all  that  the  Khille  owed  him,  too !  " 
he  exclaimed.  "  He  improved  our  speech ; 
through  the  power  and  beauty  of  his  ser- 
mons he  awakened  in  us  the  endeavor  to 
cultivate  a  better,  more  refined  language  than 
the  jargon  we  then  spoke.  Even  now,  when 

H 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


we  get  excited  over  what  we're  saying,  it 
sometimes  comes  back  to  us.  The  younger 
generation  had  it  easy;  it  glided  right  into 
the  newer,  better  times.  It  was  harder  for 
us  older  men — we  had  little  time  for  learn- 
ing ;  but  whoever  wanted  to  understand  him, 
he  could — he  could. 

"  I  was  already  a  married  man  when  he 
came  here.  I  had  my  business,  and  unfor- 
tunately I  couldn't  go  to  school  any  more; 
yet  I  did  learn  from  him — to  speak,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus,  and  perhaps  to  think — 
though  that  came  much  later.  Working 
and  attending  to  business,  you  can't  get  to 
it.  But  I  saw  and  heard  everything  the 
new  rabbi  undertook,  and  I  followed  it  with 
interest,  even  though  at  that  time  I  couldn't 
have  a  say  in  congregational  affairs.  And 
do  you  know  what  he  did  then  ?  He  started 
a  school,  a  Jewish  school,  with  nothing  but 
trained  teachers,  the  boys'  school  separate 
from  the  girls'.  And  you  learned  every- 
thing there,  just  as  in  the  Christian  schools. 
37 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


When  he  delivered  the  address  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  school,  he  said  that  we  were  en- 
joying the  blessings  of  the  year  1848,  which 
had  brought  us  Jews  the  liberty,  as  citizens, 
to  make  use  of  all  the  privileges  of  culture 
and  progress.  And  around  him  were  the 
boys  and  girls  dressed  in  their  holiday 
clothes,  and  the  parents  full  of  gratitude. 
But  the  '  Saints '  turned  against  him  in 
these  spiritual  efforts,  too,  and  the  word 
'  progress '  was  like  a  red  rag  to  a  bull  with 
them." 

Simon  Eichelkatz  had  a  specially  good 
day  to-day.  He  related  everything  so 
vividly.  It  was  as  though  the  struggles  of 
that  time  were  still  stirring  in  him.  Natu- 
rally, the  young  business  man,  already  the 
head  of  a  household,  placed  himself  entirely 
on  the  side  of  the  liberals,  who  adhered  to 
the  rabbi,  while  the  "  others  "  spoke  of  the 
"  new-fashioned "  Rav  with  scorn  and 
fanatical  virulence,  and  made  every  attempt 
38 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


to  overturn  the  institutions  he  had  intro- 
duced. 

"  The  changes  he  made  in  the  service, 
above  all  a  choir  led  by  a  cantor  with  musi- 
cal training,  also  excited  their  anger.  They 
came  forward  quite  openly  and  arranged 
their  own  service  under  the  leadership  of 
Dovidel  Kessler.  But  Rabbi  Merzbach  had 
consideration  and  pity  for  his  enemies,  and 
paid  no  attention  to  the  way  they  threw 
mud  at  him.  He  was  nothing  less  than  a 
good,  great  man,  and  he  would  not  let  him- 
self be  hindered  in  his  work.  And  for  ten 
years  of  wicked  struggles  and  bitter  ill-will, 
he  built  his  new  synagogue  in  the  hearts  of 
his  people,  and  at  last  the  ground  was  pre- 
pared for  it.  Things  became  better,  and, 
besides,  he  gave  the  people  a  common  goal, 
the  building  of  a  new  house  of  worship. 
Now  they  had  an  outlet  for  their  energy — 
but  an  outlet,  too.  for  their  ambition  and 
their  vanity. 

"  That's  the  way  it  must  be,  Herr  Kreis- 
39 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


physikus.  The  highest  often  comes  forth 
from  the  lowest.  And  finally  the  synagogue 
stood  there  finished.  What  joy  there  was! 
And  what  a  reward!  But  now  I  ask  you, 
Herr  Doktor,  can't  life  be  without  the  riff- 
raff? Is  dirt  a  constituent  of  cleanliness?  " 

Again  those  remarkable  observations! 

"  Are  poisoned  wells  necessary,  and  evil- 
smelling  fires,  and  foul  dreams,  and  maggots 
in  the  bread  of  life  ?  " 

Comparisons  from  Zarathustra  are  always 
forcing  themselves  into  my  mind.  Whence 
this  wisdom,  Simon  Eichelkatz?  And  do 
you  suspect  there  is  an  answer  to  these  ques- 
tions ? 

"  Verily,  we  have  no  abiding-places  pre- 
pared for  the  unclean.  Unto  their  bodies 
our  happiness  would  be  an  icy  cave,  and 
unto  their  spirits  as  well.  Like  strong  winds 
we  would  live  above  them,  neighbors  to  the 
eagles,  neighors  to  the  snow,  neighbors  to 
the  sun;  thus  do  the  strong  winds  live." 

My  eye  fell  again  on  the  daguerreotype — 
40 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


were  you  a  strong  wind,  Rabbi  Dr.  Merz- 
bach?  You  blew  away  many  a  crumbling 
ruin  of  the  past.  Yet  you  knew  naught  of 
the  new  values.  You  did  not  know  that  you 
must  call  to  your  enemies,  to  them  that  spit 
at  you :  "  Take  heed  that  ye  spit  not  in  the 
face  of  the  wind."  You  lived  in  the  times 
of  the  daguerreotype. 

I  asked  Simon  Eichelkatz  for  permission 
to  make  a  number  of  copies  of  the  picture 
with  my  excellent  photographic  apparatus 
which  I  use  for  the  Rontgen  rays. 

SEPTEMBER  28. 

The  Rebbetzin!  The  word  brings  a 
wealth  of  pictures  before  my  mind.  I  see  my 
good  mother  living  quietly,  modestly,  in  the 
little  town  in  which  my  father  of  blessed 
memory  was  rabbi.  When  he  died — 
it  was  just  when  I  was  taking  the 
state  examination — I  wanted  to  persuade 
her  to  move  with  me  to  Berlin.  She 
would  not.  "  Here  I  am  at  home,  here 

41 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


is  the  grave  of  my  husband  of  blessed  mem- 
ory, here  are  the  graves  of  my  dear  parents 
and  of  my  brothers  and  sisters ;  here  lie  your 
two  sisters,  who  died  young — here  is  my 
world.  Everybody  knows  me,  and  I  know 
everybody.  What  should  I  do  in  Berlin 
among  nothing  but  strangers?  I  would 
worry  and  never  feel  at  ease,  and  I  would 
only  hinder  you  in  your  profession.  Leave 
me  where  I  am.  Old  trees  should  not  be 
transplanted.  And  here  I  can  live  decently 
on  what  I  have.  In  the  big  city,  where 
living  is  high,  it  wouldn't  hold  out.  If 
only  you  will  write  often  to  me,  and  visit 
me  every  year,  I  shall  have  a  happy,  blessed 
old  age." 

This  is  the  arrangement  I  have  kept  up, 
and  hope  to  keep  up  many  more  years.  My 
dear  little  mother  is  well  and  robust;  and 
in  the  modest  corner  she  has  fitted  up  for 
herself,  dwell  genuine  peace  and  true  humil- 
ity. Humility!  That  is  not  exactly  the 
characteristic  mark  of  a  Rebbetzin.  The 
42 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


real  Rebbetzin,  the  one  who  is  exactly  what 
a  Rebbetzin  should  be,  is  proud  and  con- 
scious of  her  dignity.  The  more  modest 
and  simple  the  Rav,  the  haughtier  and  more 
exigent  the  Rebbetzin. 

"  And  that's  altogether  natural,"  said 
Simon  Eichelkatz  to  me  to-day.  "  The  Jews 
like  to  lead  the  people  they  employ  a  dance, 
and  they  are  hard-hearted  and  domineering 
toward  the  weak  and  the  dependent." 

This  is  an  unexplained  trait  in  the  soul 
of  the  Jewish  race.  Possibly,  it  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  they  are  often  contentious  and 
want  the  last  word  in  an  argument.  And 
then  comes  a  man,  fine,  tranquil,  peace-lov- 
ing, thoughtful,  as  were  most  of  the  rabbis, 
especially  in  those  days,  fifty  years  ago, 
and  immediately  the  spirit  of  contradiction 
stirs  in  the  people;  and  the  more  they  love 
and  respect  their  rabbi,  the  more  they  worry 
and  pester  him.  Everything  in  which  they 
themselves  are  lacking — Talmudic  learning, 
knowledge  and  culture,  goodness,  modesty, 

48 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


and  self-effacement,  the  utmost  piety  and 
self-sacrifice — all  this  they  demand  of  him. 

"  In  a  way  he  was  to  take  upon  himself 
all  the  Tzores  and  wickedness  and  stupidity 
of  the  Baale-Batim"  continued  Simon 
Eichelkatz,  "  and  the  more  aggressions  they 
allowed  themselves,  the  more  virtue  they 
expected  of  him.  A  wonder!  Nu,  Dr. 
Merzbach  held  up  his  end,  and  really  atoned 
for  the  sins  of  the  '  black  '  Khille." 

At  that  time  conditions  were  probably 
similar  to  these  in  all  places  in  which  rabbis 
of  modern  culture  and  academic  training 
began  to  carry  light  and  truth  to  the  minds 
of  the  Jews,  who  through  the  persecutions 
and  oppressions  under  which  they  had  so 
long  languished  had  become  distrustful, 
secretive,  cowardly,  and  embittered.  It  was 
no  slight  task.  And  many  a  rabbi,  weak 
and  faint-hearted,  wrecked  himself  in  the 
attempt.  In  that  case,  it  was  a  piece  of  good 
fortune  if  the  Rebbetzin  saw  to  it  that  her 
husband  did  not  suffer  all  that  was  put  upon 
44 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


him,  if  she  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  with 
him,  protecting,  guarding  him,  warding  off 
what  foolishness,  ill-nature,  and  tyrannical 
whims  hatched  against  him.  Usually  the 
relation  was  this:  the  Rav  they  loved  but 
vexed,  the  Rebbetzin  they  hated  but  feared. 
A  certain  equilibrium  was  thus  maintained. 

"  And  our  Rebbetzin,  Frau  Dr.  Merzbach, 
she  was  their  match !  "  cried  Simon  Eichel- 
katz.  "  She  was  proud,  and  she  looked 
down  on  the  members  of  the  congregation 
almost  disdainfully.  They  couldn't  hold  a 
candle  to  her  so  far  as  family  and  position 
went;  for  she  was  the  daughter  of  one  of 
the  best  and  most  prominent  families;  and 
the  piety  and  learning  of  her  father  and 
grandfather  were  known  in  all  Israel.  How 
could  anyone  in  the  Khille  compare  with 
her  in  breeding  and  birth?  " 

Simon  Eichelkatz  went  on  to  tell  me  how 
these  tradesmen  and  business  men  seemed 
like  vassals  to  her.  That  was  how  she 
had  been  used  to  see  the  members,  of  the 

45 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


congregation  approach  her  father  in  his 
house;  and  she  knew  that  was  how  they 
had  approached  her  grandfather,  with 
the  deepest  respect  and  devotion.  And 
so  the  free  way  in  which  the  people  dared 
meet  her  husband,  this  forwardness  and 
familiarity,  wounded  her  beyond  measure. 
And  fearless  and  self-confident  as  she  was, 
she  made  no  secret  of  her  feelings.  This 
gave  rise  to  eternal  jarring;  and  again  and 
again  the  Rav  tried  to  reconcile  her  to  the 
situation.  But  though  she  revered  her  hus- 
band as  a  saint  and  loved  him  with  the  self- 
surrender  and  faithfulness  of  a  Jewish  wife, 
she  would  not  abandon  her  ground.  Per- 
haps just  because  she  loved  him.  She 
unconsciously  felt  that  one  could  not  get 
around  the  "  rabble  "  merely  with  benevo- 
lence and  mildness;  firmness  and  haughti- 
ness were  also  necessary  in  dealing  with 
them.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  Dr.  Merz- 
bach  could  not  have  fought  the  fight  to  the 
finish  if  it  had  not  been  for  his  courageous 
46 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


wife.  Certain  it  is  that  she  kept  many  a 
slight  from  him,  many  an  ill-natured  of- 
fense. They  all  took  care  to  let  her  alone; 
and  when  Frau  Dr.  Merzbach  walked  along 
the  Ring,  many  a  one  slunk  off  around  the 
corner,  because  his  conscience  pricked  him 
on  account  of  some  gossip,  some  intrigue, 
or  some  petty  persecution — these  were  the 
weapons  with  which  the  "  Saints  "  agitated 
against  the  noble  man.  With  his  beautiful 
nature,  he  was  no  match  for  them,  but  they 
trembled  before  the  Rebbetzin. 

"  And  believe  me,  Herr  Kreisphysikus," 
Simon  Eichelkatz  commented,  "  she  was 
right;  nothing  else  was  left  for  her  to  do. 
That  was  the  only  way  to  get  the  better  of 
that  lying  pack  of  hypocrites.  If  they 
hadn't  been  afraid  of  her,  they  would  have 
fought  even  harder  against  the  man  who 
wanted  to  bring  them  the  blessings  of  a 
regulated,  proper  life.  They  prepared 
enough  bitterness  for  him,  and  he  would 
probably  have  gotten  tired  and  discouraged, 
47 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


gone  to  pieces  sometimes,  if  his  life  in  his 
own  home  had  not  weighed  in  the  balance 
against  the  lowness  of  the  Khille. 

"  And  that's  where  the  Rebbetzin  was 
remarkable.  She  was  just  as  clever  as  she 
was  proud;  and  even  her  hottest  oppon- 
ents— and  not  all  of  them  were  of  the 
Orthodox ;  some  of  the  '  gentry '  were  en- 
vious of  her  and  fought  her — well,  even 
her  hottest  opponents  admitted  that  she  was 
intelligent,  and  knew  how  to  tackle  things, 
that  she  tried  to  acquire  modern  culture,  and 
that  she  gathered  the  better  elements  in  the 
congregation  about  her.  And  her  house 
was  gay  and  refined,  people  felt  at  home 
there.  Nowhere  did  one  pass  one's  time  so 
well  as  at  Dr.  Merzbach's." 

The  rabbi's  house  on  his  Friday  evenings 
became  a  centre  for  the  cultivated  people,  the 
people  who  held  high  places  in  the  intel- 
lectual world  of  the  congregation  and  the 
city.  Christians,  too,  entered  the  circle. 

"  You  can  imagine,  Herr  Doktor,  what 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


bad  blood  that  made.  But  the  Rebbetzin 
didn't  concern  herself  about  it,  and  nobody 
could  get  a  hold  on  her,  because  no  fault 
could  be  found  with  her  piety.  Many  said 
she  was  more  orthodox  than  the  Rav.  There 
was  some  truth  in  this.  He,  being  a  great 
Talmudist,  might  find  some  freer  interpre- 
tation of  the  laws,  he  might  open  up  new 
ways,  while  she  stuck  fast  to  what  had  been 
sacred  to  her  in  her  grandfather's  and  her 
father's  home.  I  remember  how  he  once 
came  to  my  office  on  a  very  hot  day,  and 
took  his  hat  off,  and  wiped  his  forehead, 
and  then  sat  there  without  anything  on  his 
head,  when  suddenly  his  wife  appeared  out- 
side in  the  store.  He  snatched  up  his  hat, 
smiling  in  an  embarrassed  way,  and  said: 
'  God  forbid  my  wife  should  see  me  sitting 
here  without  my  cap/  ' 

Such  trivialities  and  externalities  invested 

her  with  glamour.     Besides,  there  was  her 

great   philanthropy   and   her   public   work. 

Not  a  charitable  institution  belonging  to  the 

49 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


city  or  the  congregation  but  that  she  was 
at  the  head  of  it.  And  outwardly  cold  and 
reserved,  always  carrying  herself  with  great 
dignity,  she  still  would  willingly  sacrifice 
herself  in  a  good  cause. 

"  During  the  cholera  epidemic,"  continued 
Simon  Eichelkatz,  "  I  saw  her  at  sick-beds, 
and  I  know  what  a  heart  she  had,  for  all 
her  fine  intellect.  But  the  others  came  no 
nearer  to  her,  because  they  judged  her  ac- 
cording to  her  understanding  alone,  and  that 
often  made  her  appear  hard  and  cold.  But 
she  didn't  bother  about  things  of  that  sort. 
She  did  not  even  have  the  wish  to  come 
nearer  to  those  people;  they  seemed  rude 
and  uncultivated  to  her,  and  she  was  not  in 
sympathy  with  them.  Dr.  Merzbach  some- 
times tried  to  make  her  change  her  opinion, 
but  that  was  the  point  on  which  she  would 
not  yield,  perhaps  she  couldn't.  This  was 
probably  the  one  dark  cloud  on  their 
blessed  union,  and  it  was  a  union  that  lasted 
through  forty-three  years  of  perfect  agree- 
50 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


ment,  of  the  purest  and  highest  joy,  of  the 
greatest  contentment. 

"  The  Rebbetzin  felt  at  home  only  in  her 
own  house;  to  the  Khille  she  always  re- 
mained a  stranger.  And  do  you  know,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus,  when  I  come  to  think  about 
it,  I  believe  the  Rebbetzin  is  always  a 
stranger  in  the  congregation?  She  can't  fit 
herself  in." 

I  had  to  smile.  I  thought  of  my  mother, 
who  was  so  different.  But,  to  be  sure,  times 
have  changed,  and  manners  with  them.  And 
then  the  narrow  little  community  in  which 
my  father  worked,  among  friendly,  kindly 
men  and  women !  The  "  Rebbetzin "  is 
probably  a  phenomenon  belonging  to  a  past 
epoch. 

SEPTEMBER  30. 

Autumn  is  now  completely  upon  us.  Raw, 

gloomy,  chilly,  with  everlasting  rains.    The 

city  is  not  beautiful   in  this  garb,   and   I 

would  certainly  succumb  to  my  tendency  to 

51 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


melancholy,  if  I  did  not  have  my  profession 
and — Simon  Eichelkatz. 

He  speaks  about  every  possible  thing. 
Only  when  the  talk  takes  a  personal  turn, 
touching  upon  incidents  in  his  life,  he  be- 
comes monosyllabic  and  reserved.  Conse- 
quently, I  really  know  very  little  about  him. 
With  the  exception  of  the  hints  once  thrown 
out  by  Feiwel  Silbermann  about  his  "  bap- 
tized "  son  Friedrich  Eichner,  I  have  learned 
nothing  about  him.  It  goes  against  me  to 
question  a  servant,  but  I  feel  sure  some- 
thing lurks  behind  the  sharp,  ironic  manner 
in  which  Feiwel  on  every  occasion  says  "  the 
gracious  Madame  Eichelkatz."  Clearly, 
Madame  Eichelkatz  did  not  suit  his  taste. 
And  I  learn  nothing  from  the  people,  either. 
I  have  not  yet  left  my  card  with  "  the  first 
Jewish  families  "  of  the  congregation,  and 
so  I  have  not  yet  established  any  connections. 
But  I  really  want  to  very  soon.  At  present 
I  feel  more  at  home  among  the  dead  mem- 
bers of  this  congregation,  all  of  whom,  I 

52 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


hope,  Simon  Eichelkatz  will  by  and  by  bring 
to  life  for  me. 

This  world  that  has  sunk  into  the  past 
stirs  my  imagination,  and  I  take  deep  inter- 
est in  the  figures  that  glided  through  the  nar- 
row streets  fifty  years  ago.  What  consti- 
tuted incidents  in  this  world,  what  occupied 
these  men,  how  they  lived,  loved,  and 
hated — all  this  has  a  certain  historic  charm 
for  me,  heightened  on  account  of  my  racial 
bias. 

Yesterday  Simon  Eichelkatz  promised  to 
tell  me  all  sorts  of  things  during  the  fall  and 
winter.  I  wonder  whether  I  shouldn't  wait 
a  little  while  before  I  present  my  visiting 
cards.  When  once  you  begin,  there  are 
invitations  and  social  obligations  from 
which  you  cannot  withdraw — and  then 
there  would  be  an  end  to  the  long  talks  with 
Simon.  And  I  must  carefully  consider 
whether  I  am  likely  to  laugh  so  heartily  in 
the  "  aesthetic  salons "  of  the  fine  Jewish 
houses  as  I  did  yesterday,  when  Simon  told 
52 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


me  the  story  of  Teacher  Sandberg. 
Scarcely !  The  young  ladies  would  undoubt- 
edly find  the  affair  "  shocking."  But  I  want 
to  record  it  here,  and  I  will  call  it  "  The 
Adventure  of  Teacher  Sandberg." 

It  was  on  the  hottest  and  longest  of  Jew- 
ish fast  days,  Shivoh  oser  be-Tamuz.  The 
sun  glared  down  pitilessly.  Not  a  breath 
of  air  to  freshen,  to  quicken  the  heavy  at- 
mosphere. The  Khille  began  the  "  three 
weeks  "  with  a  full  fast  day,  on  which  the 
faithful  partook  neither  of  meat  nor  drink. 
The  male  members  of  the  congregation 
strictly  observed  the  customs,  although  to 
be  pious  was  especially  hard  on  this  day  in 
midsummer,  when  daylight  continues  end- 
lessly. The  length  of  the  fast  has  become  a 
byword,  and  a  very  tall  man  is  said  "  to  be 
as  long  as  Shivoh  oser  be-Tamuz."  But 
neither  heat  nor  length  prevented  the  faith- 
ful from  keeping  the  fast  recalling  the  de- 
struction of  the  sanctuary  on  Zion.  And  so 
the  congregation  made  itself  penitential;  it 
54 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


fasted,  prayed,  perspired,  groaned,  and  de- 
nied itself  every  refreshment.  The  people 
crawled  into  the  shadow  of  the  houses  to 
escape  the  heat  and  the  tormenting  thirst  it 
caused.  In  vain!  The  awful  sultriness 
penetrated  everywhere,  and  brooded  over 
the  streets  and  dwellings,  over  field  and 
meadow.  The  fasting  men  endured  it  with 
a  certain  apathy — after  all,  they  were  used 
to  it ;  it  repeated  itself  every  year,  and  no  one 
could  remember  that  Shivoh  oser  be-Tamuz 
had  ever  fallen  on  a  cool  day.  It  couldn't 
be  otherwise — in  midsummer,  the  season  of 
ripening  fruits,  of  the  harvest.  You  just 
had  to  accept  the  situation,  and,  in  addition 
to  the  tortures  of  hunger  and  thirst,  suffer 
those  of  heat  as  well.  But  on  Shivoh  oser 
be-Tamuz  in  1853  a  great  fright  came  to 
swell  the  list  of  agonies  in  the  Khille  at 
Reissnitz. 

Toward  noon  the  report  spread  that  the 
teacher   Sandberg  was   missing.      He   had 
been  seen  in  Shul  at  the  morning  service, 
65 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


and  from  there  he  had  gone  home,  but  after 
that  he  could  not  be  traced  further.  Two 
boys  who  had  been  playing  "  cat "  that 
morning  in  the  street,  declared  they  had 
seen  him  in  front  of  his  house,  and  then 
had  noticed  him  go  around  the  corner  along 
the  street  leading  to  the  so-called  "  Beh- 
nisch  "  meadows.  That  was  the  last  that 
could  be  found  out  about  Teacher  Sand- 
berg. 

According  to  Simon  Eichelkatz's  descrip- 
tion, he  was  a  most  singular  individual.  Ex- 
tremely tall,  and  thin  as  a  broom-stick,  with 
a  peculiar  gait,  rather  pushing  and  scraping 
himself  along  the  ground  than  walking. 
Summer  and  winter  he  wore  a  black  silk 
cloth  about  his  neck,  above  which  showed 
only  a  very  narrow  line  of  white.  His  head 
was  usually  inclined  to  the  left  side  in  talk- 
ing, and  his  whole  face  was  cast  into  shadow 
by  his  large,  beaked  nose,  ugly  beyond  be- 
lief. This  nose  of  his  was  the  butt  of  his 
pupils,  the  alphabet  class  of  the  congrega- 
56 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


tional  school.  Sometimes  it  was  a  cause  of 
terror  to  them  as  well,  especially  to  the  new 
pupils,  who  always  needed  some  time  to 
grow  accustomed  to  it.  But  that  happened 
as  soon  as  Teacher  Sandberg  looked  at  them 
with  his  good-humored  eyes,  often  gleaming 
with  gayety,  which  allayed  the  fright  pro- 
duced by  the  uglier  organ.  In  fact,  it  was 
the  eloquence  of  his  eyes  that  made  the 
teacher  a  general  favorite.  Everyone  liked 
the  odd  fellow ;  and  from  many  a  shop  and 
window,  sympathetic  glances  followed  his 
figure  as,  with  hands  in  his  trouser  pockets, 
he  slouched  along  to  school.  One  can  there- 
fore imagine  the  amazement  caused  by  the 
news  of  his  disappearance.  Inquiry  was 
made  for  him  in  the  houses  of  neighbor- 
ing families,  the  synagogue  yard  was 
searched, — perhaps  he  had  taken  refuge 
there  from  the  heat, — every  nook  and  cran- 
ny of  his  house,  including  the  shop  and  cel- 
lar, were  carefully  investigated,  the  absurd- 
est  surmises  as  to  his  whereabouts  were  set 
57 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


afloat.  Was  he  in  some  saloon  ?  Impossible, 
on  this  fast  day !  His  wife  cried  and  sobbed, 
his  children  bawled — her  husband,  their 
father — where  was  he  ?  Gone !  As  if  swal- 
lowed by  an  earthquake !  Not  a  single  clue 
as  to  where  he  had  disappeared.  Some  of  the 
people,  his  weeping  wife  at  their  head,  went 
to  the  "  Behnisch  "  meadows.  But  he  was 
not  there;  nor  had  he  been  seen  by  the  har- 
vesters taking  their  midday  rest  on  the 
fresh  stacks  of  hay.  And  why  should  he 
be  there,  in  the  maddening  heat  of  high 
noon,  hungry  and  thirsty  from  his  fast? 
The  mystery  remained  unsolved  and  began 
to  assume  a  more  and  more  terrifying  aspect. 
What  had  driven  him  from  his  room? 
Whither  had  he  wandered  ?  Soon  the  word 
"  accident "  was  anxiously  whispered  from 
mouth  to  mouth.  But  what  could  the  nature 
of  the  accident  be?  In  awe-stricken  tones 
they  hinted  at  murder !  Suicide !  God  for- 
bid that  such  suppositions  should  reach  the 
ears  of  the  wife  and  children !  Crowds  gath- 
58 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


ered  in  the  White  Suburb.  They  looked 
up  and  down  the  Gass,  they  glanced  at  the 
windows  of  Teacher  Sandberg's  house ;  they 
questioned  one  another,  they  propounded  all 
sorts  of  theories,  they  debated  and  took  coun- 
sel— Teacher  Sandberg  remained  in  the  land 
of  the  unknown. 

All  forgot  hunger  and  thirst,  no  one  re- 
membered that  he  was  mortifying  his  flesh. 
What  signifies  so  slight  a  sacrifice  as  com- 
pared with  the  awful  fate  that  had  befallen 
Teacher  Sandberg?  Fear  and  pity  crept 
over  the  spirits  of  the  people.  What  had 
happened?  All  the  inhabitants  of  the  city 
joined  in  the  hunt  with  the  relatives  and 
co-religionists  of  the  lost  man.  The  whole 
little  world  was  up  and  doing,  excited, 
amazed,  searching — and  still  Teacher  Sand- 
berg remained  in  the  land  of  the  unknown. 

At  two  in  the  afternoon  the  rumor  had 

spread  from  the  White  Suburb  to  the  Ring, 

and  penetrated  into  the  quiet  study  of  the 

rabbi.    He  immediately  hurried  to  Teacher 

59 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Sandberg's  home,  accompanied  by  the  presi- 
dent, Herr  Manasse,  and  the  chairman  of 
the  board,  Herr  Karfunkelstein.  He  was 
also  joined  by  all  the  other  men  in  the  con- 
gregation, by  many  women  and  children; 
and  all  streamed  to  the  place  excited  and 
terrified,  to  get  news  of  Teacher  Sandberg's 
fate.  The  crowd  in  front  of  the  unfortunate 
man's  house  was  now  so  great  that  even  the 
highly  respected  police  also  repaired  thither ; 
now  all  the  citizens  had  assembled,  and  they 
talked  with  bated  breath  of  the  "  unheard-of 
case."  The  rabbi  arid  the  president  went 
inside  the  house  to  get  the  details  again  from 
the  wife.  The  crowd  waited  outside  expect- 
antly. The  rays  of  the  midday  sun  beat 
down  mercilessly.  But  no  one  thought  of 
heat,  hunger,  or  thirst.  Everyone  was  occu- 
pied with  Teacher  Sandberg  alone. 

"  Sandberg  had  to  choose  exactly  Shivoh 

oser  be-Tamuz  to  get  lost  on,"  said  little 

Freund,  the  dealer  in  smoked  meats.     "  He 

himself  is  as  long  as  Shivoh  oser  be-Tamuz, 

60 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


and  he  had  to  have  a  misfortune  just  on  the 
fast  day." 

"  Just  as  if  you  were  to  put  a  fur  coat 
on  in  this  heat,"  said  another  man. 

"  No  jokes,"  warned  a  third ;  "  it's  a  sad 
business." 

At  that  moment  a  man  pushed  his  way 
through  the  crowd,  breathless,  gasping,  in 
the  greatest  excitement.  He  was  carrying 
a  bag  in  which  something  swayed  back  and 
forth.  The  people  looked  at  him  with  hor- 
ror on  their  faces,  and  made  way  for  him, 
carefully  avoiding  contact  with  the  sack. 

"  Do  you  think  it  can  be  Sandberg's  head 
that  he's  dragging  in  the  bag?  "  The  little 
dealer  in  smoked  meat  put  the  question  anx- 
iously. 

"  You  can't  tell !  "  answered  his  neighbor. 

The  man  with  the  sack  stepped  into  the 
passage  way  of  the  house,  and  the  universal 
gaze  was  fastened  with  terrified  curiosity 
upon  the  entrance.  Minutes  of  the  greatest 
expectation!  That  shuddering  sense  of  op- 
61 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


pression  which  precedes  some  dreadful  oc- 
currence had  taken  hold  of  all  present.  Not 
a  single  remark  was  passed,  no  sound  was 
heard;  the  next  moment  was  awaited  in 
sheer  breathless  tension.  A  heavy  weight 
rested  on  their  spirits,  the  atmosphere  was 
leaden,  as  before  a  storm;  and  yet  the  blue 
of  the  heavens  was  undimmed,  not  a  single 
cloud  flecked  the  horizon,  and  the  sun's  rays 
flamed  with  the  heat  of  midsummer.  So 
it  was  from  a  clear  sky  that  a  thunderbolt 
was  to  strike  the  expectant  throng,  and 
now — the  rabbi  came  out  to  the  top  of  the 
steps  leading  from  the  passage-way  down 
to  the  street,  on  each  side  of  him  one  of  the 
directors,  and  behind  him,  in  the  open  door- 
way, the  man  with  the  bag,  now  hanging 
over  his  shoulder  empty.  From  within  came 
sounds  of  mourning,  crying,  and  sobbing. 
Expectation  had  reached  its  height,  and  the 
voice  of  Dr.  Merzbach  rang  out  through 
absolute  quiet,  as  he  said  with  deep  serious- 
ness: 

62 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  Beloved  congregation !  It  has  pleased 
the  Almighty  Father  to  let  a  sad  and  awful 
event  occur  in  our  midst  on  this  fast  day. 
Our  highly  respected  teacher,  Sandberg, 
whom  we  all  know  and  love,  the  guide  and 
instructor  of  our  children,  has  met  with  a 
misfortune,  a  fact  no  longer  permitting  of 
doubt,  since  this  man,  a  miller's  apprentice 
from  the  Garetzki  mill,  found  a  pair  of 
boots  near  the  dam,  and  a  red  woolen  hand- 
kerchief, which  Frau  Sandberg  recognizes 
as  unmistakably  belonging  to  her  husband. 
The  miller  met  some  hay-makers  and  learned 
from  them  that  search  was  being  made  in 
the  city  for  a  lost  man,  and  he  came  here 
immediately  with  the  articles  he  had  found. 
There  can  no  longer  be  doubt  as  to  the 
terrible  truth,  and  we  must  bear  with  resig- 
nation the  severe  stroke  the  Lord  has  sent 
down  upon  the  unfortunate  family,  so  rudely 
robbed  of  its  support  and  protection,  and 
upon  the  community  at  large.  On  a  day  of 
63 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


atonement  and  repentance  God  has  inflicted 
so  hard  a  trial  upon  us." 

At  these  words  the  people  began  to  lament 
and  weep.  "  Waigeschrieen!  God  cares 
nothing  for  our  repentance ! "  some  ex- 
claimed, while  others  hit  their  breasts  and 
cried :  "  Oshamnu,  bogadnu.  ..." 

With  great  difficulty  the  rabbi  succeeded 
in  allaying  the  excitement.  "  Be  sensible ; 
keep  quiet;  we  must  see  if  it  isn't  possible 
still  to  help  the  unfortunate  man,  or  at  least 
we  must  find  his  corpse." 

The  words  had  an  uncanny  ring.  A  dark 
shadow  seemed  to  creep  over  the  bright  day, 
the  brilliant  sunshine. 

"  It  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  divide  into 
bands  to  examine  the  banks  of  the  stream 
from  the  mill-dam  as  far  as  the  large  sluice 
gate  at  the  miner's  dam.  The  water  is  shal- 
low because  of  the  drought  of  the  past  days, 
so  there  is  still  hope  that  some  trace  of  him 
may  be  discovered.  It  would  be  well  to 
take  along  a  few  persons  who  know  how  to 

64 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


swim,  and  provide  others  with  poles.  Our 
president  will  also  see  to  it  that  the  police 
help  us  in  our  search,  and  he  will  ask  Ga- 
retzki,  the  proprietor  of  the  mill,  to  let  the 
water  at  the  dam  run  off." 

These  directions,  thoughtfully  and  quietly 
given,  did  not  fail  of  their  effect.  Search 
parties  were  formed  on  the  instant  by  Herr 
Moritz  Liepmann,  and  sent  in  various  direc- 
tions. As  they  went  toward  the  river,  the 
wit  of  the  Khille,  Reb  Shmul  Eisner,  even 
at  that  critical  moment  could  not  repress 
the  remark :  "  The  idea  of  making  Tashlich 
on  Shivoh  oser  be-Tamuz." 

Many  Christians  in  the  city  joined  the 
expedition,  and  the  people  sallied  forth  in 
the  parching  heat  to  hunt  for  Teacher  Sand- 
berg.  The  rabbi  and  the  two  trustees  accom- 
panied the  crowd  as  far  as  the  meadows 
bordering  on  the  stream,  and  here  a  small 
posse  branched  off  to  go  along  the  mill-race, 
to  carry  on  the  search  along  the  tribu- 
tary stream  as  well.  Then  Dr.  Merzbach 

65 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


and  his  companions  went  to  the  meeting- 
room  of  the  congregation  in  order  to  receive 
word  there  of  the  results  of  the  investigation. 
Up  and  down  the  river  went  the  people 
looking  for  Teacher  Sandberg  in  the  shallow 
spots.  In  vain!  With  the  exception  of  a 
few  irregular  foot-prints  in  the  moist  soil 
near  the  mill-dam,  nothing  of  note  was  dis- 
covered. Even  the  foot-prints  were  not  of 
much  significance,  since  they  disappeared  a 
short  distance  beyond  the  slope.  Teacher 
Sandberg  had  completely  disappeared.  But 
one  supposition  was  possible,  that  he  had 
met  with  an  accident.  Probably  in  the  glow- 
ing heat  he  had  used  the  handkerchief  to 
wipe  away  the  perspiration,  and  had  taken 
off  his  boots  to  cool  his  feet  in  the  water, 
and  in  doing  so  had  stepped  into  a  deep 
spot,  or  overcome  in  the  water  by  the  heat, 
he  had  fainted,  and  drowned.  A  hundred 
guesses  were  made.  But  what  remained  the 
least  explicable  part  of  the  mystery  was 
why  the  teacher  had  gone  out  at  all  in  the 
66 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


heat  of  high  noon.  In  the  meantime  the 
day  wore  on.  Hour  after  hour  passed  by. 
The  searchers  returned  home  dead-tired, 
hungry,  and  thirsty.  In  their  zeal  they  had 
forgotten  they  were  fasting;  but  at  last  the 
needs  of  the  body  asserted  themselves.  One 
by  one  they  returned  to  the  city.  Each 
brought  back  the  report  of  their  vain  en- 
deavors; and  when  the  last  came  back 
shortly  before  sunset,  everbody  was  sure  that 
Teacher  Sandberg  was  no  longer  among 
the  living.  The  rabbi  once  more  went  to 
Frau  Sandberg  to  speak  words  of  comfort 
to  her  and  her  children,  and  then  the  fateful 
day  neared  its  end.  There  was  scarcely  a 
Minyan  present  at  the  evening  services  in 
the  Shul.  Pretty  nearly  every  one  remained 
at  home  with  his  family,  doubly  alive  to  the 
blessing  of  life  in  the  face  of  this  enigmatic 
death,  and  relishing  the  breaking  of  the  fast 
with  heightened  appetite.  For  not  a  soul 
had  lived  through  a  fast  day  such  as  this 
before.  When  late  in  the  evening  the  full 
67 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


moon  hung  above  the  houses,  casting  its 
white  light  on  the  open  square  and  the 
streets,  and  the  evening  coolness  had  fresh- 
ened the  sultry  air  of  the  day,  the  people's 
spirits  were  re-animated,  and  they  came  out 
of  their  narrow  dwellings  into  the  open.  All 
thronged  to  the  Ring,  the  market  place. 

They  felt  the  need  of  talking  over  the 
day's  event.  Before  their  doors  sat  the 
fathers  of  families,  on  green-painted  benches, 
smoking  their  pipes,  and  discussing  all  the 
circumstances  of  the  case.  The  women  col- 
lected in  groups,  sympathizing  with  Frau 
Sandberg  and  breaking  their  heads  over  the 
problem  as  to  what  she  would  do,  nebbich, 
now  she  was  robbed  of  her  supporter.  The 
young  people  promenaded  up  and  down, 
chatted  in  an  undertone,  and  tried  to  be 
serious,  in  accord  with  the  gravity  of  the 
situation,  though  they  did  not  always  suc- 
ceed in  banishing  their  youthful  spirits.  On 
the  corner  of  Tarnowitzer  Street  stood  Reb 
Shmul  Eisner,  the  wit  of  the  congregation. 
68 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Half  aloud  he  said  to  his  neighbor :  "  Every- 
body is  certainly  happy  not  to  be  so  famous 
as  Teacher  Sandberg  is  to-day." 

The  rabbi  also  came  to  the  Ring,  and  with 
him  the  Rebbetzin.  He  wanted  to  go  once 
again  to  the  wife  of  the  unfortunate  man, 
and  the  Rebbetzin  would  not  absent  herself 
from  a  place  where  help  and  comfort  were 
needed.  Near  the  great  fountain,  called 
the  Kashte,  next  to  the  city  hall,  the  rabbi 
was  detained  by  some  members  of  his  con- 
gregation. Everyone  was  eager  to  hear 
something  about  the  day's  happenings  di- 
rectly from  his  mouth.  At  the  same  time 
the  mayor  and  two  aldermen  came  down  the 
steps  of  the  city  hall.  When  they  noticed 
Dr.  Merzbach,  they  went  up  to  him  to  tell 
him  that  it  had  just  been  decided  to  let  the 
water  off  at  the  dam  early  the  next  morn- 
ing, through  the  large  sluice,  in  order,  if 
possible,  to  recover  the  corpse  of  Teacher 
Sandberg ;  for  it  was  not  likely  that  with  the 
water  so  shallow,  the  body  had  been  carried 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


down  stream;  it  had  probably  been  caught 
somewhere  in  the  canal.  A  shudder  ran 
through  the  crowd.  Those  standing  near 
the  mayor  listened  to  what  he  said  with  bated 
breath  and  passed  on  his  words  to  their 
neighbors.  Like  wildfire  it  spread  through 
the  crowd  :  "  To-morrow  they'll  recover  the 
body  of  Teacher  Sandberg."  From  the 
Kashte  rose  the  primitive  figure  of  a  Nep- 
tune, trident  in  hand;  and  the  silver  moon- 
light gleamed  on  the  large  fountain  and  the 
listening  throngs  about  it. 

"  To-morrow  they'll  recover  the  body  of 
Teacher  Sandberg." 

All  of  a  sudden  a  shrill  cry  rang  out  and 
was  echoed  by  the  mass  of  human  beings, 
stirred  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement. 
Horror-struck  they  scattered  in  confusion 
and  took  to  their  heels,  only  now  and  then 
looking  back  fearsomely  at  a  gruesome 
vision  which  presented  itself  to  their  sight. 
In  one  second  the  Ring  was  vacated,  every 
one  had  hidden  in  the  houses.  There — 
70 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


slowly  and  meditatively,  like  a  ghost, 
Teacher  Sandberg  stalked  across  the  square, 
in  the  garb  in  which  the  good  Lord  had 
created  him.  He  was  absolutely  naked,  not 
a  shred  of  clothing  upon  him;  his  hands  at 
his  legs,  as  though  in  his  usual  fashion  he 
were  hiding  them  in  trouser  pockets,  his  feet 
scraping  along  the  ground. 

The  Ring  looked  as  though  it  had  been 
swept.  Only  the  rabbi,  the  two  trustees,  the 
mayor,  the  aldermen,  and  the  Rebbetzin  re- 
mained at  the  Kashte.  The  Rebbetzin,  when 
the  singular  figure  approached,  faced  about 
in  confusion  and  eagerly  contemplated  the 
Neptune,  who,  although  a  river  god,  wore 
much  more  clothing  than  Teacher  Sandberg. 
The  moonlight  glistened  on  the  trident  and 
bathed  the  entire  tragi-comic  scene  in 
its  pale  light.  The  teacher  shuffled  close  up 
to  the  gentlemen,  who  regarded  him  with 
glances  of  astonishment  mixed  with  disap- 
proval. Was  this  object  Sandberg  or  his 
ghost?  How  could  he  be  wandering  about 
71 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


through  the  city  across  the  Ring  past  all 
these  people  in  so  scanty  a  costume?  The 
thing  was  unheard  of;  the  like  of  it  had 
never  been  seen.  Presumably  the  man  was 
dead,  and  here  he  was  strolling  about — and 
in  what  a  state! 

Some  of  the  bolder  spirits  crept  out  of  their 
houses  again,  and  here  and  there  a  curious 
face  bobbed  up  behind  the  window  panes. 
The  situation  was  tense.  The  Rebbetzin  still 
had  her  back  turned  to  the  group ;  and  the 
Neptune  looked  very  shy,  as  if  to  say :  "  We 
barbarians  are  better  people  after  all;  none 
of  us  would  dare  saunter  about  the  Ring 
in  bright  moonlight  without  a  shred  of 
clothing  on." 

Finally  the  rabbi  recovered  enough  self- 
possession  to  address  the  man  standing  be- 
fore him  in  the  garb  in  which  the  Lord  had 
fashioned  him. 

"Is  that  you,  Sandberg?"  he  asked  in 
a  tone  of  mingled  severity  and  mildness. 
72 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"Yes,  Herr  Rabbiner,  it's  I,"  came  the 
plaintive  reply. 

"  Your  wife,  your  children,  the  congre- 
gation, the  city,  all  are  mourning  you  as 
dead." 

"  God  forbid !  "  the  teacher  exclaimed. 
"  Why  should  I  be  dead  ?  I  am  alive,  Herr 
Rabbiner,  praised  be  God,  even  if  something 
very  disagreeable  did  happen  to  me." 

"  He  will  catch  cold,  if  he  doesn't  look 
out."  Shmul  Eisner,  who  had  come  up  in 
the  meantime,  tossed  the  joke  to  another 
bystander.  But  no  one  thought  of  offering 
the  naked  man  a  bit  of  clothing.  The  amaze- 
ment was  still  too  great.  So  the  audience 
was  continued,  and  Teacher  Sandberg,  in 
the  primitive  garb  in  which  he  was,  related 
his  adventure  before  a  college  of  judges 
consisting  of  the  rabbinate  and  the  muni- 
cipal authorities. 

In  the  morning  he  had  gone  to  take  a 
bath,  and  had  undressed  behind  some  bushes 
at  the  edge  of  the  stream  near  the  Petershof 
73 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


dam,  where  not  a  soul  passes  at  that  hour 
of  the  day.  He  dived  into  the  refreshing 
depths.  The  water  was  delicious.  Forgotten 
the  torturing  heat,  forgotten  the  hunger 
and  thirst  of  the  fast  day!  He  struck  off 
down  stream  and  let  himself  be  carried  along 
by  the  soft  waves,  gently  warmed  and 
brightened  by  the  sun.  After  half  an  hour, 
possibly  longer,  he  swam  back  to  the  spot 
where  he  had  undressed — but  horror  of 
horrors!  his  clothes  had  disappeared.  Not 
a  thing  had  been  left  behind,  not  even  a  shirt 
to  cover  his  body.  Utterly  distraught,  he 
ran  up  and  down  the  bank,  hunting  for  his 
clothes,  calling,  crying  out,  imploring,  be- 
seeching help  from  somewhere.  Nothing 
stirred.  Had  someone  played  a  trick  on 
him?  Had  tramps  passed  by  and  taken  the 
clothes  along  as  profitable  booty?  He  was 
absolutely  ignorant  of  how  the  thing  had 
happened.  But  one  thing  was  clear;  he 
must  hide  himself  until  night,  and  then 
find  some  way  of  creeping  home.  He  reck- 
74 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


oned  on  the  probability  that  the  people,  tired 
out  by  the  fast,  would  go  to  bed  earlier  than 
usual.  So,  resigned  and  thoroughly  worn 
out  by  the  excitement  of  the  fearful  adven- 
ture, he  slid  into  a  field  of  corn  in  full 
ear,  ripe  for  harvesting,  and  crawled  way 
into  its  depths  to  hide  himself  completely. 
He  dropped  down  exhausted ;  the  corn-stalks 
waved  high  over  his  head,  the  crickets 
chirped,  the  ragged  robins  and  wild  poppies 
nodded  about  him.  He  again  began  to  medi- 
tate upon  his  peculiar  position.  What  hap- 
pened after  that  he  could  not  remember.  He 
must  have  fallen  into  a  deep  sleep,  and  so 
failed  to  hear  the  call  of  the  search  parties. 
When  he  awoke,  the  moon  was  high  in  the 
heavens.  He  did  not  know  what  time  it  was ; 
but  he  supposed  it  must  be  late  at  night,  for 
he  was  chilled  to  the  marrow,  and  dew  lay 
upon  the  field  from  which  he  emerged.  Then 
he  wended  his  way  homeward,  through  the 
meadows  wrapt  in  solitude  and  nocturnal 
quiet  With  beating  heart  he  slipped  past 
76 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


the  houses  along  the  deserted  streets.  It 
was  like  a  city  of  the  dead.  He  thought  it 
must  be  long  past  midnight,  that  everybody 
was  buried  in  sleep.  It  could  not  occur  to 
him  that  the  people,  because  of  his  disap- 
pearance, had  congregated  at  the  Ring.  Em- 
boldened by  the  quiet,  he  stepped  along  at 
a  livelier  pace,  and  even  calculated  that  by 
crossing  the  Ring  and  going  down  Rybniker 
Street  he  could  reach  his  home  sooner.  He 
was  not  in  the  least  afraid  of  meeting  any- 
one at  that  time  except  the  night  watch,  to 
whom  he  could  easily  explain  his  plight. 
So  he  came  through  a  narrow  side  street, 
which  ran  from  the  Flour  Market  and  opened 
right  on  the  Ring  and  landed — where  his 
appearance  was  welcomed  as  a  ghost  by  the 
excited  crowd.  And  now  he  was  standing 
before  the  gentlemen,  and  he  could  not  have 
done  otherwise,  so  help  him  God — Amen ! 

His  savior  in  need  was  the  Rebbetzin. 
With  averted  face  she  listened  to  the  half- 
comic,  half-pitiful  narrative,  and  suddenly 
76 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


she  let  her  large  black  mantilla  fall  to  the 
ground  behind  her.  Shmul  Eisner,  who  no- 
ticed the  act,  and  immediately  perceived  its 
purpose,  sprang  forward,  picked  up  the 
shawl,  and  hung  it  about  the  teacher's 
trembling  limbs.  Then,  draped  in  the  Reb- 
betzin's  black  mantilla,  the  teacher  was  led  to 
the  shelter  of  his  home,  to  wife  and  child. 

"  Won't  Frau  Teacher  Sandberg  be 
jealous,  though,"  exclaimed  Reb  Shmul,  the 
joker,  "  when  she  sees  him  coming  home 
with  nothing  on  but  the  mantilla  of  the 
Rebbetzin." 

"  The  chief  thing  is,  he  is  here,"  replied 
his  companion.  And  that  is  what  the  whole 
congregation  thought,  when  it  sought  its 
well-deserved  rest. 

OCTOBER  6. 

My  position  keeps  me  very  busy.     In  a 

mining     district     accidents     occur     almost 

daily.     Besides,  the  whisky  fiend  has  to  be 

reckoned  with,  leading,  as  it  does,  to  all 

77 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


sorts  of  excesses,  brawls,  and  murderous 
assaults.  Scarcely  a  day  passes  but  that  I 
have  to  make  trips  into  the  country,  which 
offers  small  cheer  now  in  the  grey  autumn 
weather  and  in  this  dispiriting  region.  My 
disposition,  naturally  inclined  to  be  sombre, 
becomes  still  more  melancholy;  and  when 
I  ride  through  the  rain-soaked  country, 
past  forges,  furnaces,  and  culm  heaps,  cov- 
ered with  a  thick  pall  of  smoke,  with  the 
immediate  prospect  of  seeing  dead  or  in- 
jured victims,  and  having  to  set  down  a 
record  of  human  misery  and  woe,  my  mood 
becomes  ever  blacker  and  blacker.  I  never 
find  time  to  attend  to  patients  among  the 
upper  classes.  I  believe  I  am  given  up  as 
a  hopeless  case — a  Jewish  Kreisphysikus, 
sans  wife,  who  doesn't  seek  introductions, 
must  be  either  an  abnormality  or  a  capri- 
cious, stuck-up  fool,  at  any  rate  a  person 
not  to  be  reckoned  with  seriously.  My 
colleagues  probably  have  the  same  opinion 
of  me.  After  the  inevitable  initial  formal- 
78 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


ities,  I  did  not  come  in  contact  with 
them;  if  chance  brings  us  together,  we 
give  each  other  a  cool  if  courteous  greet- 
ing. 

This  exclusiveness  has  its  advantages. 
The  time  left  free  from  my  duties  belongs 
to  me  entirely,  and  I  do  not  spend  it  thrift- 
lessly in  society  to  which  I  am  indifferent. 
It  has  not  been  my  experience  that  inter- 
course with  many  people  is  of  any  profit. 
One  gets  so  little,  and  gives  so  much,  much 
too  much  of  what  is  best  and  noblest  in 
one's  nature,  especially  if  one  is  a  man  of 
feeling,  intellect,  and  ardent  temperament. 
The  strongest  chord  is  almost  never 
touched.  In  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances, the  exchange  of  courtesies  is 
purely  formal,  and  the  acts  of  friendship  are 
entirely  perfunctory.  These  merely  exter- 
nal amenities  make  men  vulgar  and  untrue, 
I  would  not  like  to  use  an  even  stronger 
expression  and  say  dishonest.  Heine's 
words  occur  to  me : 

79 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Weisse,  hofliche  Manschetten, 

Ach  wenn  sie  nur  Herzen  batten, 

Herzen  in  der  Brust  und  Liebe, — wahre  Liebe  in  den 

Herzen, 
Denn     mich     totet     ihr     Gesinge     von     erlogencn 

Liebesschmerzen. 

Perhaps  such  principles  produce  loneli- 
ness; but  they  strengthen  one;  at  all  events 
they  do  not  embitter  the  mind  and  spirit, 
as  some  maintain.  I  have  never  been  sad- 
der than  in  the  midst  of  many  people, 
among  whom  I  did  not  find — one  human 
being!  And  nothing  has  a  happier  influ- 
ence on  me  than  to  find  a  human  being 
where  I  least  expect  one — Simon  Eichel- 
katz,  for  example. 

Yesterday,  after  an  interval  of  several 
days,  I  went  to  see  him  late  in  the  evening. 
I  was  worn  out  and  unnerved  by  my  official 
visit  to  a  neighboring  place,  the  centre  of 
the  Silesian  coal-mining  district.  Two 
workmen  had  gotten  into  a  fight  in  a 
tavern,  and  the  host,  in  trying  to  separate 
them  and  smooth  over  their  differences, 
80 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


himself  became  enraged  and  threw  out  the 
more  aggressive  of  the  two.  The  reeling, 
sodden  wretch  lost  his  balance,  and,  tumb- 
ling down  the  steps,  knocked  his  head  on 
a  stone.  His  skull  was  crushed,  and  he 
died  in  a  few  minutes  from  contusion  of 
the  brain.  When  I  reached  the  spot,  a 
mob  of  wild,  excited  forms  had  gathered 
about  the  scene  of  the  drama.  Policemen 
stood  on  guard;  and  a  cloth  covered  the 
corpse,  which  was  not  to  be  disturbed  until 
after  an  inspection  by  the  officials  of  the 
locality.  I  could  do  nothing  more  than 
affirm  that  the  victim  was  dead,  the  ex- 
amination showed  that  death  had  occurred 
as  a  result  of  a  fall  caused  by  violent  mis- 
handling. The  author  of  the  deed  was  a 
Jew.  He  was  immediately  imprisoned,  and 
with  great  difficulty  was  withdrawn  from 
the  summary  lynch- justice  of  the  enraged 
crowd.  Defrauded  of  the  prisoner,  they 
turned  against  his  family  and  his  property. 
The  windows  of  his  house  were  smashed 
81 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


in;  the  shop  was  utterly  destroyed,  and  the 
whisky — that  ruinous,  unholy  "  dispeller 
of  cares  " — flowed  from  the  casks  into  the 
street.  His  wife  and  children  tried  to 
save  their  goods  and  possessions  from  the 
fury  of  the  vandals,  but  received  kicks  and 
blows  for  their  efforts.  It  was  a  horrid 
scene.  The  policemen  did  not  succeed  in 
restoring  order  and  quiet  for  some  time. 
Is  it  possible  they  had  not  received  suffi- 
cient power  from  the  authorities?  Was 
there  some  other  reason?  At  any  rate  I 
had  to  interpose  and  try  to  allay  the  tur- 
moil. At  last  the  crowd  dispersed;  but 
ever  and  again  the  echo  reached  my  ears 
of  assassin — murderer — Jew — assassin — 
dirty  thief — cheat — Jew — Jew — liar. 

All  this  had  utterly  depressed  and  un- 
nerved me.  I  really  wanted  to  stay  at 
home;  but  I  reconsidered  and  decided  it 
was  better  to  substitute  a  pure,  peaceful 
picture  for  these  torturing  impressions, 
and  I  went  to  my  old  friend.  I  found  him 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


gay  and  friendly  as  ever,  despite  the  late- 
ness of  the  hour.  But  my  mood  did  not 
escape  his  searching  gaze;  and  on  his  ques- 
tioning me,  I  told  him  what  had  happened. 
As  was  his  wont,  he  rubbed  his  forehead 
with  his  forefinger  and  thumb,  and  looked 
thoughtfully  into  space.  Finally  he  said : 

"  That's  the  way  it  is  to-day,  and  that's 
the  way  it's  always  been.  If  a  man  of  some 
other  religion  commits  a  wrong,  it's  a  bad 
man  that  did  it;  but  if  it  happens  among 
our  people,  then  it's  the  '  Jew '  !  That's  a 
bitter  pill  we  have  to  swallow,  Herr  Dok- 
tor,  a  very  bitter  pill.  But  it  is  so,  and  it 
doesn't  change,  even  though  the  world  is 
said  to  be  so  cultured  and  progressive,  and 
humane — the  Jew  remains  a  Jew!  In  the 
eyes  of  the  Goy  he's  something  peculiar, 
something  disgraceful !  And  for  that  reason 
the  Jews  must  stick  to  the  Jew;  because  the 
others  don't,  and  never  did,  and  never  will. 
We  have  nothing  to  expect  or  hope  from 
them — and  we  needn't  be  afraid  of  them, 

83 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


neither,  we  Jews,  if  we  stick  together. 
Then,  if  something  should  happen  as  to- 
day, Herr  Kreisphysikus,  it's  a  misfortune, 
but  not  a  calamity.  Because  the  man  who 
did  it,  is  a  wicked  brute  who  by  accident  is  a 
Jew,  and  might  just  as  well  have  been  a 
Goy.  What  has  religion  to  do  with  these 
matters,  anyhow?  Does  a  Goy  do  some- 
thing bad  because  he's  a  Christian,  or  a 
Jew  because  he's  an  Israelite?  Religion 
teaches  both  of  them  to  be  good,  upright, 
and  pious;  and  if  they  aren't,  how  can  re- 
ligion help  it?  Religion  is  not  to  be  blamed; 
only  good  can  result  from  religion. 
Whether  Jew  or  Christian,  it  remains  the 
same.  Each  can  learn  from  his  own  re- 
ligion; for  there  is  something  moral  in 
every  religion;  and  for  that  reason  every- 
body should  honor  his  own  religion  and 
stick  to  it.  The  deeds  of  men  must  be 
judged  according  to  the  nature  of  each 
man,  not  according  to  his  religion.  Be- 
cause, if  the  Jew  at  Raudnitz  chucked  out 
84 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


the  Shikker  so  roughly  that  he  died,  the 
Jew  did  it  because  he  has  an  angry,  wild, 
ungovernable  temper.  Do  you  suppose  he 
was  thinking  of  his  religion?  If  he  only 
had !  The  Shikker  would  be  alive  if  he  had. 
Because  the  Jewish  belief  forbids  the  Jew 
to  be  sinful  or  violent,  and  to  kill;  just 
as  their  belief  forbids  the  Goyim.  And  the 
world  won't  be  better  until  all  understand 
that  a  man  must  have  respect  for  his  neigh- 
bor, because  he  is  a  man.  When  each  and 
everyone  feels  that  he  is  master  of  his 
honor  and  his  dignity,  he  will  also  find  his 
rights — not  as  a  Jew  and  not  as  a  Chris- 
tian, but  as  a  man  !  " 

I  stared  at  the  old  man  fixedly.  Whence 
these  ideas  on  the  rights  and  dignity  of 
man?  Whence  these  opinions  animated  by 
the  spirit  of  humanitarianism?  Here,  in 
the  Jewish  community?  If  he  had  suddenly 
begun  to  unriddle  the  problem  of  "  the 
thing  in  itself,"  I  should  scarcely  have  been 
astonished.  Notions  had  arisen  in  the 
85 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


mind  of  this  simple  man,  on  the  philosophy 
of  human  rights  and  the  philosophy  of  re- 
ligion, worthy  of  a  great  scholar,  although 
he  had  never  heard  a  word  of  the  notable 
thinkers  who  had  constructed  these  ideas 
into  an  enduring  cosmic  edifice. 

OCTOBER  n. 

The  affair  in  Raudnitz  had  a  sad  sequel, 
and  gave  me  a  great  deal  to  do.  The 
prisoner  hanged  himself  in  jail.  The  coro- 
ner's inquest  and  the  attendant  formalities 
occupied  most  of  my  time.  I  was  com- 
pelled to  drive  repeatedly  to  Raudnitz,  and 
I  became  acquainted  with  the  unfortunate 
family  of  the  accused  who  had  taken  jus- 
tice into  his  own  hands.  The  wife,  well- 
mannered,  had  a  rather  hard  expression; 
the  two  daughters  were  educated  and 
well-bred;  the  aged  mother  of  the  man  was 
pathetic  in  her  old  Jewish  humility  and 
pious  resignation.  A  fearful  fate  had  over- 
taken the  unsuspecting  folk  who  a  few 
86 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


days  before  had  been  living  in  quiet  happi- 
ness. I  asked  the  woman  what  could  pos- 
sibly have  driven  her  husband  to  his  des- 
perate deed.  In  the  most  unfavorable  cir- 
cumstances he  would  have  been  punished 
for  homicide  through  carelessness,  and  the 
sentence  would  certainly  have  been  light, 
since  he  could  have  proved  that  the  fatal 
fall  of  the  victim  was  primarily  due  to  his 
drunkenness. 

"  But  the  shame,  Herr  Doktor,  the 
shame.  For  months  he  would  have  been 
in  jail  undergoing  examination  and  cross- 
questioning;  then  he'd  surely  have  re- 
mained in  prison  a  couple  of  years — for  they 
would  never  have  acquitted  him  entirely. 
He  didn't  want  to  live  through  all  that — 
the  shame,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  shame  be- 
fore his  children,  and  the  sorrow  for  his 
mother.  It  would  have  lasted  years,  long, 
long  years;  and  so  he  ended  it  at  one 
stroke.  He  knew  me,  and  he  felt  sure  I 
wouldn't  lose  my  head,  and  would  provide 
87 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


for  the  children.  He  was  certain  of  it,  and 
knew  he  would  be  a  greater  burden  to  his 
family  if  he  was  buried  alive  in  prison  than 
if  lying  dead  beneath  the  earth.  It  is  ter- 
ribly painful,  but  there  is  an  end  of  it;  the 
other  would  have  been  an  eternal  shame. 
That  is  the  way  he  reasoned;  he  killed 
himself  for  the  sake  of  his  children." 

I  shuddered,  when  I  heard  the  affair  dis- 
cussed so  rationally  and  cold-bloodedly. 
Was  it  heartlessness  or  keensightedness 
that  made  them  so  hard  and  unloving? 
Hadn't  the  woman  loved  and  respected  her 
husband?  Yet  did  she  not  judge  his  deed 
as  the  outcome  of  reasoned  consideration, 
his  voluntary  death  as  a  sacrifice  to  his 
family,  as  a  martyr's  death? 

A  question  rose  to  my  lips. 

"  But  tell  me,  my  dear  Mrs.  Schlochauer, 
your  husband  must  surely  have  thought 
that  he  would  hurt  you  deeply,  you  with 
whom  he  lived  happily  and  whom  he  cer- 
tainly loved  and  respected.  And  he  must 
88 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


have  felt  that  he  would  give  his  old  mother 
infinite  pain." 

An  odd  smile  drew  the  corners  of  her 
mouth,  and  some  moments  passed  before 
she  roused  herself  from  a  sort  of  trance, 
and  said:  "His  mother  is  very  old,  Herr 
Doktor,  eighty-two  years  old;  she  hasn't 
much  more  to  expect  from  life,  I  am  sure 
he  thought  of  that.  And  as  for  his  love 
for  me  " — she  hesitated — "  he  was  always 
considerate  of  me,  and  respectful,  but  love? 
In  a  decent  Jewish  family  the  love  of  man 
and  wife  is  their  love  for  their  children." 

What  had  moved  the  soul  of  this  woman 
to  such  conclusions  on  married  life? 

Yesterday  I  learned  by  chance  that  she 
was  the  daughter  of  a  teacher  in  Beuthen, 
and  had  herself  been  trained  as  a  teacher. 
The  community  had  granted  her  a  scholar- 
ship, to  complete  her  course  for  the  teach- 
er's examinations  at  the  Seminary  in  Bres- 
lau.  There  she  became  acquainted  with  a 
young  painter,  a  Christian,  and  a  love 
89 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


affair,  as  pure  as  it  was  ardent,  developed 
between  them.  When  her  parents  heard  of 
the  affair,  they  made  her  come  home  im- 
mediately. Her  studies  were  interrupted, 
and  she  took  up  life  again  in  her  parents' 
house,  the  fountain  of  her  emotions  sealed, 
the  bitter  sorrow  of  an  unhappy  love  swell- 
ing her  heart.  What  was  her  inner  develop- 
ment after  this  first,  hard  disillusionment, 
this  spiritual  conflict?  Who  can  tell? 

When,  some  years  later,  the  first  flush 
of  youth  past,  her  father  expressed  to  her 
his  wish  that  she  marry  Schlochauer  in 
Raudnitz,  the  well-to-do  proprietor  of  a 
distillery,  in  order  to  lighten  his  own 
troubles  in  bringing  up  his  numerous  off- 
spring, she  obeyed  without  a  murmur.  Her 
husband  respected  her,  and  offered  no  ob- 
jection to  her  assisting  her  family  and 
so  enabling  her  brothers  to  study.  He 
loved  her,  too — for  she  presented  him  with 
four  children.  Two  died  young — and  as 
for  the  two  remaining  daughters,  she  would 
90 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


provide  for  them  carefully.  Her  husband 
would  not  be  deceived  in  her;  the  sacrifice 
of  his  life  was  not  made  in  vain. 

"  When  everything  is  settled,  Heir 
Kreisphysikus,  I  am  going  to  sell  the  busi- 
ness and  the  house,  and  move  to  Berlin. 
We  have  some  means,  Herr  Doktor;  my 
husband  was  a  good  manager.  In  Berlin 
we  are  not  well  known;  and  grass  grows 
over  everything  that  happens.  No  matter 
if  a  person  here  and  there  knows  some- 
thing about  it;  it  is  quickly  forgotten. 
People  have  no  time  there  to  gossip  about 
private  affairs.  I  have  three  brothers  in 
Berlin,  all  in  respected  positions.  So,  in 
the  large  city,  I  shall  live  free  from  care 
with  my  daughters;  they  are  still  young  and 
will  get  over  the  pain  and  horror  of  the 
present." 

"  And  you,  Frau  Schlochauer?  "  I  hastily 
asked. 

"I?     I  shall  do  my  duty." 

The  words  sounded  so  natural,  yet  it 

91 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


made  a  painful  impression  on  me  to  see 
how  collected  she  was,  how  quietly  and  cir- 
cumspectly she  looked  into  the  future  from 
out  of  the  confusion  and  distress  of  the  mo- 
ment. Perhaps  she  divined  the  course  of 
my  thoughts,  for  suddenly  she  continued: 

"  Don't  wonder  that  I  speak  of  this 
matter  so  calmly.  You  become  accustomed 
to  such  things  if  for  twenty  years  you  live 
with  a  business  man  in  this  neighborhood, 
among  such  rude,  rough  folk.  You  learn 
to  be  on  the  lookout,  to  be  careful  and 
practical.  And  you  forget  that  once  you 
regarded  the  world  with  different  eyes." 

She  uttered  the  last  words  softly,  with 
downward  glance.  When  I  heard  the  his- 
tory of  her  youth  yesterday,  I  saw  her  in 
my  mind's  eye  again,  and  a  feeling  of 
boundless  pity  for  this  woman  swept  over 
me — not  for  what  she  was  suffering  now — 
now  that  she  was  steeled  and  experienced 
— but  for  her  youth,  the  youth  she  had  lost 
92 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


because  practical  considerations  and  hin- 
drances determined  the  course  of  her  life. 

But  now  I  must  tell  about  a  remarkable 
acquaintance  I  made  yesterday,  the  man 
who  told  me  what  I  know  of  Frau  Schloch- 
auer's  history.  He  introduces  some  humor 
into  the  affair. 

"  Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker." 

The  visiting  card  with  this  name  printed 
in  large  Roman  characters  lies  before  me 
and  seems  to  throw  a  crafty  and  comical 
smile  at  me.  In  fact  my  new  acquaintance 
is  very  amusing.  The  card  was  brought 
in  to  me  at  the  end  of  my  afternoon  office 
hours.  Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker !  I  thought 
it  was  a  patient,  and  had  him  admitted  even 
though  the  time  for  receiving  patients  was 
past.  A  few  moments  later  an  elderly  man 
sat  before  me,  well-preserved  and  decently 
dressed.  He  was  perfectly  open  in  letting 
his  curious  gaze  rove  through  my  room, 
and  I  felt  that  in  a  minute  period  of  time  he 
had  a  thorough  survey.  His  inventory  took 
93 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


in  all  the  objects  in  the  room,  myself  in- 
cluded. His  sly  eyes  seemed  ever  to  be  in- 
vestigating and  inspecting,  and  although 
he  frequently  pressed  them  shut,  or  glanced 
into  space  over  his  nickel-plated  pince-nez, 
one  felt  correctly  catalogued  and  pigeon- 
holed. Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker  began  to 
interest  me.  Without  waiting  for  me  to 
ask  his  business,  he  said: 

"  I  knew,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  that  you 
always  stay  at  home  a  little  while  after  your 
office  hours,  and  that's  the  reason  I  chose 
this  time  for  coming  to  you;  I  thought  we 
would  not  be  disturbed  now." 

So  he  was  acquainted  with  my  habits, 
with  something  about  my  private  life;  he 
wanted  to  speak  to  me  without  outside  in- 
terruption— did  this  man  know  of  some 
secret?  Did  a  matter  calling  for  discre- 
tion lead  him  to  me?  But  he  gave  me  no 
time  for  surmise,  and  added : 

"  You  certainly  don't  run  after  practice 
among  well-to-do  patients;  no  one  can  re- 
94 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


proach  you  with  that — you  live  like  a  hermit ; 
and  outside  of  Simon  Eichelkatz  no  one 
has  had  the  honor  of  seeing  you  at  his 
home." 

My  face  must  have  looked  very  stupid, 
or  it  must  have  expressed  great  amaze- 
ment at  his  intimate  tone  and  his  familiar- 
ity with  my  affairs;  because  he  laughed  and 
said: 

"  Yes,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  in  a  little 
town  you  get  to  know  people,  and  all  about 
them." 

"  But  I  don't  know  you"  I  interrupted, 
my  patience  at  last  exhausted. 

"  I  am  Jonas  Goldstiicker." 

"  So  your  card  tells  me.  But  I  should 
like  to  permit  myself  the  question,  to  what 
I  owe  the  honor  of  your  visit." 

"  O,  you'll  soon  find  out,  Herr  Kreisphy- 
sikus. I  am  not  sick,  as  you  see.  Quite 
another  reason  brings  me  to  you.  But  if  I 
should  need  medical  advice,  I  shall  not  fail 
to  come  to  you,  although  Sanitatsrat  Ehr- 
95 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


lich  has  been  treating  me  for  six  years — 
since  the  time  his  daughter  Annie  married 
Herr  Rechtsanwalt  Bobrecker  of  Leob- 
schiitz.  An  excellent  match.  Any  day  Bo- 
brecker might  have  gotten  sixty  thousand 
marks,  and  Lowenberg,  the  wool  manufac- 
turer in  Oppeln,  would  have  given  him  as 
much  as  seventy-five  thousand,  but  he  want- 
ed to  marry  a  girl  from  an  educated  family, 
and  no  other.  Well,  the  daughter  of  Sani- 
tatsrat  Ehrlich  is  no  vain  delusion." 

My  breath  was  completely  taken  away 
by  this  information  regarding  private  mat- 
ters. 

Next  came  the  abrupt  question : 

"  In  general,  Herr  Kreisphysikus.  are  you 
in  favor  of  wet  or  dry  treatment  in  rheu- 
matism ?  " 

A  patient  after  all!  I  breathed  more 
freely.  Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker  had  given 
me  a  creepy  sensation. 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean  by 
that" 

96 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  I  mean,  are  you  in  favor  of  massage  and 
electricity  or  in  favor  of  baths  ?  " 

The  impudent  assurance  of  the  question 
utterly  astounded  me,  and  I  wanted  to  give 
him  a  brusque  reply,  when  he  continued : 

"  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich  is  an  excellent  physi- 
cian ;  but  he's  a  bit  antiquated  already,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus.  The  young  doctors  of  to- 
day make  a  much  more  lymphatic  impres- 
sion." 

Doubtless,  he  meant  "  emphatic,"  because 
a  few  moments  later  another  pretentious 
word  was  incorrectly  applied. 

"  But  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich  after  all  has  the 
largest  practice  in  the  congregation;  and 
people  would  look  on  it  as  bigamy  if  anyone 
were  to  say  anything  against  him." 

I  was  only  slightly  acquainted  with  my 
colleague,  and  I  did  not  know  that  doubt 
of  his  powers  would  be  regarded  as  blas- 
phemy— probably  what  Jonas  Goldstiicker 
meant  to  say.  The  humor  of  the  situation 
at  last  began  to  dawn  upon  me,  and  I 
97 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


awaited  the  further  utterances  of  my  re- 
markable guest  in  amused  curiosity. 

"  And  his  house,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  his 
house!  Really,  very  fine.  The  Frau  Sani- 
tatstratin  knows  how  to  do  the  honors  and 
to  keep  her  distance." 

What  he  meant  by  this  was  not  exactly 
clear  to  me ;  but  I  learned  that  the  youngest 
daughter  of  my  colleague  Ehrlich  was  a 
ravishing  maiden,  as  Herr  Jonas  Gold- 
stiicker  assured  me. 

"  Very  highly  educated,  speaks  every 
language,  plays  the  piano  as  well  as  Leu- 
buscher  (I  didn't  know  of  the  performer), 
and  only  Chopin,  Rubinstein,  Offenbach, 
Brahm." 

"  Brahms,  Herr  Goldstucker,  Brahms." 

"  Why,  yes,  I  said  Brahm,  Herr  Kreis- 
physikus. And  what  she  doesn't  know,  be- 
sides! And  quite  a  housekeeper,  too;  she 
learned  cooking.  No,  not  a  soul  can  find 
a  thing  to  say  against  Miss  Edith — Edith, 
a  pretty  name,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  Edith." 
98 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


He  was  silent  for  a  moment.  I  was  on  the 
point  of  telling  him  that  all  this  had  very 
little  interest  for  me,  and  that  he  should 
come  to  the  real  object  of  his  visit;  but  he 
continued  to  impress  me  as  a  man  of  the 
better  classes,  with  fairly  decent  manners, 
calling-  for  a  certain  amount  of  considera- 
tion. So  I  maintained  my  attitude  of  ex- 
pectancy, and  listened  to  his  digressions  and 
discourses  on  this  theme  and  that  In  the 
course  of  his  remarks  he  exclaimed : 

"  It's  really  a  shame  that  you  don't  visit 
at  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich's,  though  I  can 
imagine  you  haven't  very  much  time.  And 
now  you  must  be  having  a  good  deal  of 
annoyance  with  that  affair  in  Raudnitz.  A 
terrible  misfortune,  terrible.  That  Herr 
Schlochauer  must  have  had  a  fearful  tem- 
per; because  it  isn't  so  easy  to  throw  a  man 
out  of  your  place  and  kill  him  outright.  It 
must  be  very  trying  to  his  wife;  she  is  an 
educated  woman,  daughter  of  the  teacher 
Weiss,  in  Beuthen.  She  never  thought  she 
99 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


would  marry  a  thoroughly  uneducated 
saloon-keeper.  But  he  got  along  very  well, 
and  you  never  heard  any  talk  about  her  not 
living  happily  with  him.  She  always  had 
what  she  needed,  and  much  more.  She 
could  help  her  own  family  and  give  her  two 
daughters  a  good  education — very  different 
from  what  would  have  happened  if  she'd 
gotten  her  painter.  What  a  sad  picture 
they'd  have  made,  she  and  her  picture- 
maker." 

He  laughed  complacently  at  his  pun,  and 
I  meditated  over  the  ideal  Jewish  marriage. 
Then  I  was  made  acquainted  with  the  story 
of  Frau  Rosalie  Schlochauer's  youthful  love. 

"  But  that  he  should  have  gone  and  taken 
his  life!  It's  really  awful  to  bring  about  a 
misfortune  so  deliberately.  However,  a 
sister-in-law  of  Frau  Schlochauer,  a  cousin 
of  my  wife,  married  to  the  book-dealer 
Grosser,  told  me  that  the  widow  is  remark- 
ably calm.  Frau  Grosser  herself  is  half 
dead  from  the  excitement,  and  she  can't  pos- 

100 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


sibly  comprehend  how  Frau  Schlochauer  can 
be  so  collected.  The  idea  of  hanging  him- 
self in  prison !  Absurd !  If  he  had  waited, 
for  all  we  know  he  might  have  been  set 
free.  At  any  rate  he  would  not  have  gotten 
more  than  three  or  four  years.  In  no  cir- 
cumstances would  he  have  been  put  into  the 
penitentiary.  Herr  Rechtsanwalt  Cassirer 
told  me  yesterday  that  the  jury  would  cer- 
tainly have  agreed  on  dolus  eventualiter." 

Of  course,  what  Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker 
wanted  to  say  was  dolus  eventualis.  But  a 
little  thing  like  that  didn't  matter  to  him, 
and  I  continued  to  wonder  how  he  came  to 
know  everybody  and  associate  with  the  best 
families.  He  was  evidently  on  a  most  inti- 
mate footing  with  the  heads  of  the  com- 
munity. 

"  Frau  Schlochauer,"  he  said,  after  a 
while,  "  will  doubtless  move  away  from 
Raudnitz.  Life  for  her  there  in  these  cir- 
cumstances is  impossible.  And  what  should 
she  do  with  two  daughters,  who  are  almost 

101 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


grown  up  and  will  soon  be  marriageable? 
She  will  certainly  go  to  Berlin.  Her 
brothers  live  there ;  one  of  them  is  a  lawyer, 
another  is  a  physician,  and  the  third  owns 
a  large  shirtwaist  factory.  There  she  will 
have  someone  to  cling  to." 

I  had  a  mental  picture  of  Frau  Schloch- 
auer,  quiet  in  her  grief,  earnest,  thought- 
ful, as  she  unfolded  to  me  her  plans  for  the 
future.  And  this  man  knew  it  all.  He  had 
guessed  it  and  now  expressed  his  opinion 
on  events  in  the  life  of  a  stranger. 

"  In  Berlin  people  don't  bother  about  such 
stories.  There  Frau  Schlochauer  is  the  sis- 
ter of  the  lawyer  Weiss  and  the  doctor 
Weiss;  she  is  the  rich  Frau  Schlochauer 
with  two  pretty,  well-bred  daughters. 
That's  enough.  The  girls  will  make  very 
good  matches.  They  say  the  property 
amounts  to  a  great  deal,  much  more  than 
you'd  think  by  looking  at  Herr  Schlochauer. 
There  he  was  working  all  day  and  thinking 
of  nothing  but  how  to  serve  his  customers. 
102 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


He  left  culture  and  education  to  his  wife — 
and  now  the  money,  in  addition.  The  sale 
of  the  big  house  and  the  distillery  may  bring 
in  as  much  as  four  hundred  thousand  marks. 
Yesterday  Rothmann,  the  banker,  told  me 
Schlochauer  had  been  well  off,  almost  rich. 
Some  of  his  money  he  placed  with  Roth- 
mann, the  rest  with  the  Breslau  Diskonto 
Bank ;  and  Rothmann  knows  the  amount  of 
his  deposits.  If  Frau  Schlochauer,  when  the 
time  comes,  will  give  each  daughter  one 
hundred  thousands  marks — for  the  present 
she  won't  use  more  than  the  interest  on 
her  money — she  will  be  able  to  do  very  well 
with  them.  Of  course,  she  won't  get  the 
sort  of  person  that  looks  out  for  a  so-called 
fine  family.  People  like  that  ask  after  every 
possible  thing,  and  are  sure  to  find  out  about 
the  detention  in  prison  and  the  suicide. 
There  are  some  who  won't  suffer  the  tiniest 
speck  on  the  family  name — but  there  are 
enough  young  people,  too,  who  haul  in  with- 
out questioning  and  think,  '  Let  by-gones 
103 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


be  by-gones.'  Sometimes  even  physicians 
and  lawyers  aren't  so  particular  about 
'  antecedents.' ' 

I  looked  at  my  watch.  The  act  should 
have  been  an  indication  to  him  that  I  was 
getting  impatient,  and  was  displeased  with 
the  familiarity  of  his  talk;  but  he  seemed 
not  to  comprehend  the  delicate  hint.  For  he 
suddenly  broke  out  with : 

"  Herr  Rabbiner  Griinbaum  in  Loslau 
was  a  brother  of  your  mother,  wasn't  he, 
Herr  Kreisphysikus  ?  I  knew  him  very 
well.  I'm  from  Loslau,  too.  A  fine  man, 
and  very  good  and  friendly.  He  was  very 
much  loved  in  the  Khille,  and  my  blessed 
mother  always  used  to  say :  '  Fine  as  silk, 
fine  as  silk.'  I  knew  your  father,  too,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus;  once  when  he  was  in  Los- 
lau, at  the  funeral  of  your  uncle,  I  saw  him, 
and  I  heard  the  sermon  he  delivered.  Great, 
really  great !  So  touching !  The  whole  con- 
gregation shed  tears.  Your  father  must 
have  been  a  splendid  pulpit  orator.  A  pity 

104 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


he  was  in  such  a  small  congregation.  He 
belonged  in  Breslau  or  Berlin.  But,  God 
bless  me,  good  can  be  accomplished  in  the 
smallest  of  places;  and  he  certainly  did  do 
good.  Herr  Doktor  Feilchenstein  was  in 
Johannisbad  with  me  this  summer,  and  he 
couldn't  get  through  telling  me  about  your 
parents,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  and  what  a 
pious,  good  old  lady  your  mother  is.  No 
wonder,  either,  if  she's  a  sister  of  Herr 
Rabbiner  Griinbaum,  of  Loslau.  And 
Doktor  Feilchenstein  told  me  of  you,  too. 
You  know,  I  mean  your  cousin  from 
Frankfort-on-the-Oder.  When  he  heard 
that  I  was  from  Raudnitz,  he  asked  after 
you,  and  sent  his  regards.  He  refused  to 
believe  that  I  hadn't  met  you,  when  you'd 
been  here  since  April.  But,  dear  me,  in 
summer  everybody,  of  course,  is  away,  and 
it's  no  time  for  visiting.  But  now,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus,  it's  October  already,  and  you 
haven't  made  any  visits  yet." 

What  gave  the  man  the  right  to  remon- 
105 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


strate  with  me  on  this  subject?  To  be  sure, 
he  seemed  well  acquainted  with  my  family 
affairs — my  cousin  sent  messages  by  him. 
I  pondered  a  while ;  the  name  "  Jonas  Gold- 
stucker "  was  not  on  my  visiting  list. 
Curious !  All  I  said  was :  "  You  must  leave 
me  to  judge  of  that." 

"  But  I  beg  of  you,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
you  misunderstand  me.  I  assure  you  I  did 
not  mean  to  instruct  you  in  matters  of  social 
form.  How  could  you  think  such  a  thing? 
All  I  meant  was,  how  should  families  here 
get  to  know  and  appreciate  you,  if  you  keep 
yourself  at  such  a  distance?  And  your 
cousin,  Doctor  Feilchenstein,  told  me  what 
an  excellent  person  you  are,  how  earnest  and 
thorough,  and  how  you  had  opened  up  a 
career  for  yourself  when  you  were  com- 
paratively young.  Not  out  of  the  thirties 
and  a  Physikus  already — and  how  much 
pleasure  you  are  giving  your  old  mother." 

Since  I  last  saw  my  cousin  he  must  have 
developed  into  a  garrulous  old  woman. 
106 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


What  had  possessed  him  to  tell  an  utter 
stranger  so  much  of  my  life,  to  praise  me, 
and  speak  of  my  relations  with  my  quiet, 
reserved  little  mother?  I  couldn't  believe 
my  ears,  and  I  was  about  to  give  expression 
to  my  amazement  when  he  continued : 

"  And  how  happy  your  dear  mother 
would  be  if  you  would  soon  present  her  with 
a  nice  daughter-in-law!  If  the  girl  is  fine 
and  educated,  your  mother  might  even  live 
with  you,  and  end  her  days  under  your  roof. 
Many  young  girls,  to  be  sure,  are  not  in 
favor  of  such  an  arrangement;  but  that  de- 
pends, and  Edith  Ehrlich  is  such  a  clever 
person.  .  .  ." 

I  jumped  from  my  seat,  and  came  near 
laughing  out  loud.  At  last  the  mystery  was 
solved.  Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker,  who  hon- 
ored me  with  so  curious  and  intimate  a  visit, 
was  a  Shadchen,  the  marriage  broker  of  the 
congregation ! 

It  was  highly  entertaining.  But  appar- 
ently he  did  not  care  to  notice  that  I  took 
107 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


the  matter  as  a  joke,  for  he  remained 
quietly  seated  and  continued : 

"  And  Herr  Sanitatsrat  prefers  a  physi- 
cian, who  might  take  up  his  practice 
later.  .  .  ." 

"  Marry  into  the  profession,  so  to  speak," 
I  interjected. 

"  Yes,  Herr  Kreisphysikus.  But  that's 
only  by  the  way.  In  addition  he  will  give  his 
daughter  fifty  thousand  marks,  just  as  much 
as  Rechtsanwalt  Bobrecker  got,  and  if  you — 
you  might  pay  a  visit  there  anyway — I  am 
sure  if  you  once  get  to  know  Miss  Edith, 
you  will  see  that  the  description  I  gave  of 
her  is  true  from  head  to  foot.  She  has  a 
beautiful  head  of  chestnut  brown  hair.  .  .  ." 

The  association  of  ideas  was  delicious. 

"  She  has  a  fine  figure,  medium  size,  and 
when  I  think  how  glad  your  old  mother 
would  be.  ..." 

I  do  not  know  whether  I  politely  showed 
Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker  the  door,  or  whether 
he  went  voluntarily.  At  all  events  he  was 
108 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


gone.  But  this  very  day  I  mean  to  write 
a  letter  to  my  cousin,  Doktor  Feilchenstein, 
and  give  him  a  piece  -of  my  mind. 

OCTOBER  10. 

"  Do  you  know  what  a  Roshekol  is  ?  " 
Simon  Eichelkatz  asked  me  with  a  mis- 
chievous smile,  when  I  visited  him  this 
afternoon. 

"  A  Roshekol  is  the  head  of  a  congre- 
gation," I  answered.  He  laughed  a  gentle, 
chuckling  laugh,  which  was  the  usual  ex- 
pression of  good  temper  with  him,  and 
said : 

"  A  Roshekol  is  a  disagreeable  fellow." 

"  But  not  always,  Herr  Eichelkatz  ?  " 

"  Almost  always,  at  least  if  you  get  your 

idea  of  him  from  the  rabbi  and  the  cantor, 

nebbich,  or  even  from  the  Khille  in  general. 

He    is    generally    arrogant,    disputatious, 

autocratic,  and  ambitious.     As  he  hasn't 

anything  else  to  rule,  he  wants  to  rule  the 

congregation  at  least,  and  he  insists  the 

109 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


poor  officials  shall  depend  upon  his  good- 
will entirely.  He  suffers  no  contradiction, 
and  as  for  the  opinion  of  another,  it  doesn't 
occur  to  him  that  it  is  entitled  to  any  re- 
spect. He  commands  and  the  others  must 
agree  with  him.  For  they  are  nearly  all  de- 
pendent upon  him,  and,  therefore,  are  either 
for  or  with  him.  On  the  one  side  is  his 
Mishpocheh,  on  the  other,  people  who  stand 
in  business  or  personal  relations  with  him. 
If  he  happens  to  have  a  so-called  academic 
education,  matters  are  still  worse,  because 
on  the  strength  of  it  he  and  the  Khille  as 
well  put  on  an  extra  touch  of  pride.  He 
has  some  standing  in  the  city,  too,  is  on 
good  terms  with  the  Goyim,  and  is  gener- 
ally a  city  alderman.  This  makes  a  tre- 
mendous impression  on  the  Khille,  and 
it  doesn't  occur  to  the  Narronim  that  they 
themselves  made  him  alderman.  They  say 
with  pride :  '  Our  Roshekol  must  be  a  very 
intelligent  man;  he's  an  alderman  also!' 
The  Roshekol,  it  is  true,  usually  is  an  in- 
110 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


telligent  person;  but  he  lacks  character  and 
genuine  goodness  and  humanity.  It's  all 
on  the  surface — fine  phrases,  long  words, 
but  within  cold,  hollow,  and  calculating. 
All  he  thinks  of  is  to  show  himself  off  in 
the  best  light  and  hurt  other  people's  feel- 
ings." 

I  shook  my  finger  at  Simon  laughingly 
and  said : 

"  Reb  Shimme,  I  think  you  are  looking  at 
things  through  dark  spectacles;  they  can't 
be  so  bad  as  you  paint  them." 

"  Just  live  in  a  Khille  fifty  years,  and 
you'll  know  whether  or  not  I'm  exaggera- 
ting. If  you'd  have  known  the  president 
of  the  congregation,  Krakauer,  Doktor 
Krakauer,  saving  your  reverence,  you'd 
have  said  at  least  what  I  say,  that  a 
Roshekol  is  a  disagreeable  fellow.  Per- 
haps you'd  have  said  even  more.  Lots  of 
people  in  the  Khille  were  vexed  at  his 
treatment  of  the  poor  officials,  nebbich,  and 
made  a  fist  at  him  behind  his  back.  But  they 
ill 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


were  too  weak  to  do  anything.  T,  too, 
Herr  Kreisphysikus.  What  can  a  single 
person  do?  But  when  I  think  of  it  even 
now,  my  gall  rises." 

"  Now,  now,  my  dear  Reb  Shimme,  if  you 
excite  yourself,  I  won't  allow  you  to  speak 
one  word  about  it."  I  tried  to  soothe 
him. 

"  Why?  If  one  speaks  from  the  heart, 
it  doesn't  hurt.  Just  let  me  tell  you 
quietly  about  Herr  Doktor  Krakauer,  sav- 
ing your  reverence.  I  won't  make  it  a 
reproach  against  him  that  he  came  of  a 
thoroughly  ordinary  family.  There  are 
many  Jews  of  low  extraction  who  work 
themselves  up  into  a  fine,  noble  manhood. 
Besides,  if  we  recall  our  common  stock, 
everyone  is  justified  in  regarding  himself 
as  a  nobleman  of  the  most  ancient  lineage. 
But  then  one  should  act  accordingly,  which 
most  of  us  unfortunately  fail  to  do.  Herr 
Doktor  Krakauer,  saving  your  reverence, 
certainly  did  not  behave  like  a  nobleman. 

112 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


His  father  was  a  dealer  in  raw  hides  in 
Peiskretscham,  an  industrious,  decent  sort 
of  a  Jew,  who  couldn't  read  or  write.  His 
mother  was  a  simple  woman,  formerly  the 
cook  at  Herr  Bernhard  Markus's.  They 
were  not  young  when  they  married,  and 
when  a  son  was  born  to  them,  they  were 
overjoyed.  They  decided  to  make  some- 
thing remarkable  of  the  child.  The  parents 
now  had  only  one  aim,  and  the  boy,  who 
was  a  studious  pupil,  made  it  possible  for 
them  to  fulfil  their  desire.  He  was  to  study, 
become  an  educated,  learned  gentleman,  a 
doctor.  Whatever  the  dealer  in  raw  hides 
and  his  wife  lacked,  was  to  appear  in  the 
son,  and  more,  too.  And  they  lived  to  ex- 
perience the  joy  of  seeing  him  ashamed  of 
them.  After  he  had  taken  up  the  profes- 
sion of  physician,  and  had  received  posi- 
tions of  trust  in  the  city  and  the  congre- 
gation, he  was  very  careful  to  keep  the 
dealer  in  raw  hides  and  the  Jewish  cook 
hidden  away.  He  was  their  son  on  the 

113 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


quiet  and  in  secret.  To  be  known  as  their 
son  might  have  hurt  him  in  the  eyes  of 
the  world,  and  reflect  on  his  public  posi- 
tion. So  the  two  old  people,  who  had 
worked  untiringly  day  and  night  to  put 
their  only  child  on  a  higher  level  than 
themselves,  could  watch  the  results  of  their 
efforts  only  from  afar.  For  his  greed,  his 
energy,  his  cunning,  and  his  disregard  of 
other  people  had  actually  advanced  him  to 
a  dazzling  height.  He  married  into  a 
well-to-do  family;  but  the  girl  was  so  shy 
and  stupid  that  she  yielded  to  his  auto- 
cratic will,  in  constant  terror  lest  she  dis- 
please him. 

"  Now,  then,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
imagine  such  a  man  a  Roshekol  for  years. 
He  oppressed  and  injured  the  whole  Khille; 
it  didn't  have  the  courage  to  oppose  him. 
Everyone  trembled  before  him.  The  old 
janitor  of  the  synagogue,  the  Shabbes  Goy 
Marek,  who  died  last  year,  always  used  to 
say :  '  When  Krakauer  comes  to  Shul,  hold- 

114 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


ing  his  head  so  high  you'd  think  he  was 
trying  to  bump  against  the  Mogen  Dovid, 
and  expanding  his  chest  as  if  to  beat  for  Al 
Chet  upon  it,  the  whole  Khille  trembles,  be- 
cause he's  so  swell  and  eats  Trefa,  and  treats 
the  people  like  cattle.'  Marek  was  right,  he 
was  a  sensible  man.  And  more  than  the 
members  of  the  Khille,  nebbich,  those  who 
were  dependent  upon  him  trembled  before 
him.  But  two  people  did  not  tremble,  Rabbi 
Doktor  Merzbach,  who  was  too  aristocratic 
by  nature,  and  still  less,  the  '  haughty  Reb- 
betzin,'  who  openly  called  Doktor  Krakauer 
an  upstart,  and  returned  his  greeting  so 
condescendingly  that  he  always  took  the 
other  side  of  the  street  when  he  saw  her 
coming.  By  way  of  return  he  never  failed 
when  the  occasion  offered  to  do  harm  to 
the  rabbi  and  wound  his  feelings. 

"  His  desire  for  vengeance  was  incredible ; 
and  the  more  he  tried  to  keep  it  from  show- 
ing in  his  outward  manners,  the  more  it 
fermented  in  his  coarse-grained  heart;  and 

115 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


wherever  it  was  possible  to  injure  Doktor 
Merzbach,  he  did  it.  No  one  seeing  the  tall, 
heavily-built,  broad-shouldered  man  with 
his  ingratiating  smile,  his  assumption  of 
aristocracy,  and  his  courtly  manners,  would 
have  supposed  his  exterior  concealed  so 
black  a  soul.  Well,  his  day  of  reckoning 
came  after  all.  But  in  the  meantime  he  con- 
tinued to  gain  influence ;  and  he  also  had  an 
excellent  practice,  which  later,  to  be  sure, 
was  sliced  away  a  bit  by  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich. 
May  no  one  suffer  the  fate  they  invoked  on 
each  other — but  before  the  world  the  best 
of  friends.  On  one  point  they  were  always 
agreed,  to  worry  and  annoy  those  who  were 
under  their  control,  the  officials  of  the  con- 
gregation, nebbich !  Herr  Sanitatsrat  Ehr- 
lich was  also  a  trustee ;  and  the  two  ruled  in 
the  congregation  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
The  first  ugly  trick  they  played  on  Dr.  Merz- 
bach was  at  the  dedication  of  the  New 
Synagogue.  I  think  I've  told  you  about  it 
already,  Herr  Kreisphysikus.  The  building 
116 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


of  the  New  Synagogue  was  due  entirely  to 
Dr.  Merzbach's  efforts.  Who  would  have 
paid  any  attention  to  Herr  Dr.  Krakauer, 
saving  your  reverence?  Dr.  Merzbach's 
name  had  a  good  sound,  and  one  is  not  a 
son-in-law  of  Reb  Salme  Friedlander  of 
Posen  for  nothing.  That's  exactly  what  Dr. 
Krakauer,  saving  your  reverence,  could  not 
forgive  him,  although  he  always  performed 
his  difficult  duties  quietly  and  simply.  The 
Rebbetzin,  it  is  true,  very  clearly  showed 
what  she  thought  of  the  son  of  Isaac  Kra- 
kauer, dealer  in  raw  hides,  and  Frau  Yetta, 
once  cook  at  the  house  of  Bernhard  Markus. 
There's  no  denying  it,  the  Rebbetzin  was 
proud.  But  in  spite  of  that  she  was  char- 
itable and  noble,  and  all  the  poor  people  in 
the  community  loved  her.  She  stood  at  the 
beds  of  the  sick  and  the  dying.  In  the  awful 
cholera  time  she  courageously  went  with 
her  husband  from  place  to  place,  showing 
no  sign  of  fear.  She  brought  comfort  to 
the  sufferers,  and  took  the  helpless  and  the 
117 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


orphaned  under  her  wing.  It  was  only  to 
people  like  Krakauer  that  she  showed  her 
scorn  for  upstarts,  if,  as  she  said,  they  did 
not  also  elevate  their  minds  and  their  morals. 
You  can  imagine,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  that 
there  were  always  '  decent '  people  in  the 
Khille  who  reported  to  the  president  every 
word  the  Rebbetzin  said,  only  exaggerated 
and  adorned  with  extra  flourishes.  There 
were  two  especially,  fine  men,  Herr  Meyer 
Nathanson  and  Herr  Saul  Feuerstein. 
Nathanson  was  the  Shammes  and  treasurer 
of  the  Khille.  He  was  called  the  '  Caretaker 
of  the  Khille/  because  he  concerned  himself 
about  everything,  and  was  Dr.  Krakauer's 
right-hand  man.  Feuerstein  was  a  well- 
known  Pleitegeher,  a  professional  bankrupt, 
and  made  a  good  living  from  his  profes- 
sion. These  two  men  acted  as  spies  to 
ferret  out  and  report  every  word,  every  act 
of  Frau  Dr.  Merzbach's.  She  didn't  con- 
cern herself  about  them ;  and  sometimes  she 
may  have  been  glad  that  the  people  learned 

118 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


what  she  thought  of  them.  But  there  was 
always  some  disturbance  and  annoyance; 
and  finally  the  good  Herr  Rabbiner  was  the 
one  to  suffer.  I  can  scarcely  get  myself  to 
speak  to  you  about  the  way  Dr.  Krakauer, 
saving  your  reverence,  and  his  assistants  im- 
posed their  will  on  the  meetings  of  the  com- 
mittee, and  how,  when  the  New  Synagogue 
stood  there  completed,  all  the  difficulties 
overcome,  they  sent  for  a  rabbi  from  Berlin 
to  hold  the  dedication  speech.  Did  you  ever 
hear  of  such  a  thing?  As  though  a  rabbi 
were  a  prima  donna!  He  comes  and 
preaches  the  dedication  sermon  and  pushes 
aside  our  own  rabbi !  Dr.  Krakauer,  and 
Meyer  Nathanson,  the  caretaker  of  the 
Khille,  and  Saul  Feuerstein,  the  professional 
bankrupt,  triumph;  and  with  them  the 
'  Saints,'  whom  the  whole  business  of  the 
New  Synagogue  doesn't  suit  anyhow.  I  be- 
lieve Dr.  Merzbach  suffered  very  much  at 
the  time;  his  feelings  must  have  been  bit- 
terly hurt ;  but  he  did  not  complain,  and  he 

119 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


did  not  lose  his  joy  in  his  work.  When  he 
stood  in  the  pulpit  on  the  first  Shabbes  after 
the  dedication,  and  thanked  God  for  having 
permitted  the  congregation  to  erect  their 
new  house  of  worship,  and  also  thanked 
the  congregation  for  having  made  sacrifices 
and  patiently  awaited  the  completion  of  the 
difficult  work,  which  he  recommended  to 
their  protection,  their  fidelity,  and  their  piety, 
as  a  place  of  upliftment,  of  edification,  com- 
fort, and  faith,  the  eyes  of  all  were  filled 
with  tears,  and  everyone  felt  that  the  real 
dedication  sermon  had  not  been  delivered 
until  that  Shabbes.  Marek,  the  janitor  of  the 
synagogue  and  Shabbes  Goy,  said  that  when 
the  people  came  out  of  the  synagogue,  they 
nodded  significantly  to  one  another :  *  Even 
if  the  other  man  did  come  from  Berlin  he's 
not  a  Dr.  Merzbach.'  But  what  they  said 
in  an  undertone,  was  publicly  declared  by 
the  Rebbetzin  when  she  left  the  synagogue, 
proudly  drawing  up  the  black  mantilla  that 
120 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


had  once  been  draped  about  the  shoulders  of 
Teacher  Sandberg: 

"  '  The  dedication  of  the  New  Synagogue 
did  not  take  place  until  to-day,  praised  be 
God,  through  the  efforts  of  him  who  for  ten 
years  spent  his  whole  strength  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  work.' 

"  She  said  this  as  she  stood  on  the  top 
of  the  steps  leading  down  from  the  side 
portal  to  the  street;  and  so  loud  that  the 
'  caretaker  of  the  Khille,'  who  was  standing 
near  the  steps,  could  hear  the  words,  prob- 
ably was  intended  to  hear  them.  By  the 
afternoon  he  had  already  reported  them  to 
the  president,  and  the  result  was  that  the 
deputy  to  the  convention  soon  after  held 
in  Berlin  was  not  the  rabbi,  but  Herr  Dr. 
Krakauer,  saving  your  reverence,  and  two 
other  ignorant  Amrazim" 

"  That's  what  you  call  punishment  for  the 
sake  of  discipline,"  I  interpolated  laugh- 
ingly. 

121 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  I  don't  know  what  you  call  it,  but  I 
know  it's  a  shame  that  so  large  a  congre- 
gation as  ours  should  not  have  been  repre- 
sented at  the  convention  by  its  rabbi,  a  fine 
Talmid  Chochom,  with  a  good  name  of  the 
greatest  Yichus,  but  by  an  Amhorez  who 
did  not  know  more  of  Yiddishkeit  than  a 
coarse  dealer  in  hides  and  a  Jewish  cook 
could  show  him." 

He  came  to  a  sudden  stop. 

"  It  sickens  me  and  makes  my  gall  rise 
to  think  of  these  things,  Herr  Kreisphysikus. 
And  I  had  to  look  on  and  let  it  all  happen, 
because  I  was  weak  and  without  influence. 
Nothing  could  be  done." 

A  thoughtful,  wearied  look  came  into  his 
eyes.  I  seized  the  moment  to  take  leave, 
because,  in  spite  of  my  interest  in  his  nar- 
ratives, I  did  not  want  him  to  exert  himself 
any  more  for  the  present.  Outside  I  advised 
Feiwel  Silbermann  to  see  to  it  that  his 
master  go  to  bed  as  soon  as  possible. 
122 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


OCTOBER  18. 

At  last  I  have  learned  something  of  Simon 
Eichelkatz's  life  history.  As  if  utterly  for- 
getful of  himself,  he  ransacked  the  store- 
house of  his  brain  for  recollections  of  the 
past,  but  since  his  own  life  was  closely 
bound  up  with  that  of  the  congregation,  he 
came  to  speak  of  himself  involuntarily.  I 
admit,  that  without  wishing  to  be  indiscreet 
I  brought  him  to  do  it.  For  greatly  as  the 
figures  and  events  he  describes  interest  me, 
yet  they  belong  in  the  past  and  have  an 
historical  significance.  But  this  old  man 
rises  out  of  the  past,  as  a  passive  observer, 
it  is  true,  more  than  an  active  doer.  Yet, 
a  portion  of  his  being  flourishes  and  de- 
velops on  the  soil  of  science,  in  the  most 
modern,  most  progressive  province  of  spir- 
itual endeavor.  What  an  evolution  from 
Simon  Eichelkatz  to  Friedrich  Eichner! 
I  hope  to  become  acquainted  with  this  life 
which  leads  from  the  narrow  confines  of  a 
Jewish  community  out  into  the  broad  world 
123 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Yesterday  my  old  friend  was  very  talka- 
tive. I  felt  it  pleased  him  to  glance  back  at 
his  own  life ;  and  he  probably  felt  that  it  was 
not  vulgar  curiosity  but  true  sympathy  that 
led  me  to  him.  When  I  began  my  diary, 
I  thought  it  would  record  the  deeds  and 
events  of  the  day  happening  here,  the  most 
recent  news ;  it  has  turned  out  to  be  a  book 
of  the  recollections  of  an  old  man.  It's  bet- 
ter so.  Daily  life  here  is  dull  and  monoto- 
nous. The  people,  as  far  as  I  know,  seem  to 
be  conventional.  Those  typical  character- 
istics which  Simon  Eichelkatz  reveals  to  me 
are  lacking  in  the  present  generation.  The 
more  the  Jews  are  acclimatized,  the  more 
they  lose  of  their  individuality;  and  if  this 
is  not  to  be  deplored  in  general,  yet  it  is  at 
the  expense  of  much  originality,  in  both  a 
good  and  a  bad  sense.  Whatever  originality 
has  been  saved  for  present  times  has  taken 
the  form  of  individualism,  which  plays  a 
large  and  significant  role  in  modern  life; 
and  I  believe  that  if  strong  individualities 
124 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


are  found  among  Jews,  they  are  traceable  to 
the  time  when  the  community  at  large  was 
concerned  with  the  preservation  of  individu- 
ality and  race  characteristics.  Nowadays 
the  Jews  strive  for  exactly  the  opposite  ideal. 
But  I  want  to  put  the  past  on  record.  Simon 
Eichelkatz  draws  some  remarkable  though 
not  always  agreeable  pictures.  Yet  if  viewed 
in  the  softening  perspective  of  time  and 
distance,  they  evoke  a  feeling  of  reconcilia- 
tion and  mild  tolerance. 

Was  not  an  impress  laid  on  the  Jews  by 
the  narrowness  of  their  life,  its  one-sided 
interests,  the  lack  of  a  wide  outlook,  and  the 
failure  to  take  a  broad  view  of  the  world 
based  on  fixed  ethical  principles?  Were 
the  large  mass  of  them  not  rendered  doubly 
small  and  inferior  because  the  great  men 
among  them  were  entirely  too  great?  Was 
it  not  a  necessary  consequence  that  crudities 
and  deformities  should  grow  out  of  these 
contrasts,  which  were  all  the  worse  because 
they  arose  under  oppression,  in  malicious, 
125 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


underhand  ways?  When  I  think  of  it  all 
in  the  right  light,  my  sympathy  overcomes 
my  repugnance  for  those  who  in  the  old 
communities  crucified  and  burned  at  the 
stake  the  men  who  furthered  the  idea  of  re- 
form in  Judaism.  Remarkable  saints !  Meyer 
Nathanson,  the  caretaker  of  the  Khille ;  Saul 
Feuerstein,  the  professional  bankrupt,  and 
their  savory  crew,  and  alongside  of  them 
Dr.  Krakauer,  Dr.  Ehrlich,  and  their  col- 
leagues. Alas  for  the  miserable  Khilles ! 
Yet  I  am  moved  by  the  recollections  of  the 
scenes  enacted  in  the  past  on  this  ground 
where  fortune  has  cast  me.  Instead  of  the 
land  of  sun,  in  which  the  famous  an- 
cestor of  my  great-grandmother  in  Brody, 
Dr.  Abarbanell,  served  his  Master,  the  black 
coals  of  upper  Silesia  and  the  winds  of  the 
Beskides;  instead  of  converse  with  scholars 
and  artists,  intercourse  with  the  rude  folk 
here;  instead  of  stimulating  activity,  dis- 
sections and  grubbing  into  the  mental  state 
of  murderers,  perjurers,  etc. — such  is  my 
126 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


life  and  work ;  yet  I  have  something  to  give 
me  inner  satisfaction — Simon  Eichelkatz. 

Yesterday,  he  said  to  me :  "  What  the 
Herr  Rabbiner  did  for  the  congregation  as 
a  whole  when  he  came  to  this  '  black  '  Khille 
cannot  compare  with  what  he  gave  to  each 
person  separately.  He  came  here  in  1849, 
soon  after  the  great  revolution.  Shortly 
before,  in  the  company  of  a  deputation  from 
Posen — he  had  been  rabbi  in  Unruhstadt — 
he  had  stood  before  the  king,  in  order  to 
give  expression  to  the  '  most  humble  '  thanks 
of  the  Jews  for  the  rights  granted  them. 
You  can  imagine,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  how 
that  impressed  the  people  here — a  Rav  who 
had  stood  before  the  King,  a  Rav  who  spoke 
High  German  and  was  a  doctor.  I  tell  you 
there  was  a  to-do  when  they  went  to  receive 
him  and  his  Rebbetzin;  they  rode  as  far 
as  Kandrzin  and  met  him  there.  Herr  Dr. 
Krakauer,  saving  your  reverence,  had  then 
been  president  for  two  years,  and,  to  give 
the  devil  his  due,  it  was  Dr.  Krakauer  who 
127 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


brought  a  new  Rav  here  and  insisted  on  his 
being  a  man  with  an  academic  education. 
But  when  he  saw  that  the  Rav  was  inde- 
pendent, and  wasn't  willing  to  dance  to  the 
tune  of  his  fiddle,  he  became  the  Herr  Rab- 
biner's  worst  enemy.  But  on  the  rabbi's 
arrival  Dr.  Krakauer  delivered  the  address 
of  welcome  in  Kandrzin,  and  rode  here  in 
the  same  carriage  with  the  rabbi  and  the 
Rebbetzin.  The  fourth  person  in  the  car- 
riage was  the  goldsmith  Manasse,  who  was 
then  vice-president,  a  decent  sort  of  a  man. 
That's  the  way  they  entered  town ;  the  whole 
Khille  had  assembled  before  the  rabbi's 
house,  in  the  old  school  building  next  to 
the  Mikveh.  Well,  and  then  they  went  up 
into  his  apartments,  which  had  been  entirely 
refurnished  by  Joseph,  the  cabinet-maker, 
and  Manasse  attempted  to  deliver  a  speech 
there.  He  was  no  orator,  and  embarrass- 
ment robbed  him  of  his  words.  It  is  re- 
ported he  stammered  so  that  he  couldn't  get 
past  the  first  words,  and  Dr.  Merzbach  said : 
128 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


'  Respected  friends,  I  do  not  need  words  to 
be  convinced  of  your  sentiment  and  your 
kindly  feelings  for  me.  I  feel  that  I  belong 
to  you,  and  I  came  gladly.  I  hope  that  in 
this  congregation  my  activity  will  find  a 
large  field,  which  perhaps  has  hitherto  been 
lying  fallow,  but  on  which  the  seeds  of  fine, 
noble  thoughts,  ethical  principles,  and  the 
idea  of  forming  a  worthy  communal  life, 
will  sprout  and  bear  rich,  glorious  fruit. 
I  know  what  you  wanted  to  say  to  me,  re- 
spected Herr  Vorsteher,  even  if  the  emotion 
of  the  occasion  overpowered  you.  Who- 
ever looks  into  your  true,  good  eyes  feels 
that  he  is  facing  a  kindly  man ;  and  so  we  all 
have  the  desire  to  cling  to  one  another  faith- 
fully, and  not  in  words  but  in  deeds  work 
for  the  weal  of  this  precious  congregation.' 
"  Manasse  repeated  this  speech  to  me  a 
hundred  times.  When  the  reception  com- 
mittee came  down  to  the  rest  of  the  people 
at  the  end  of  half  an  hour,  Dr.  Krakauer 
looked  so  exasperated  that  Marek,  the 
129 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Shabbes  Goy,  immediately  remarked: 
'  Something  has  gotten  onto  his  nerves.' 
But  Saul  Feuerstein,  professional  bankrupt, 
and  later  leader  of  the  *  Saints/  did  not  see 
why  the  formation  of  a  '  worthy  communal 
life '  was  necessary,  since  they  had  been 
dawening  so  long,  and  everything  had  been 
all  right.  Did  he  think  they  had  been  wait- 
ing for  him  to  shape  communal  life?  As 
for  what  he  said  about  *  ethical  principles/ 
you'd  have  to  look  it  up  in  an  encyclopedia 
before  you  could  understand  it.  Besides  it 
was  a  Chutzpeh  in  him  to  speak  of  a  fallow 
field.  The  Khille  had  managed  to  exist 
without  a  sign  of  a  Dr.  Merzbach.  Under 
such  auspices  the  new  rabbi  assumed  office — 
among  Amrazin  and  coarse  fellows,  all  of 
them,  the  well-educated  Herr  Dr.  Krakauer, 
saving  your  reverence,  and  Dr.  Ehrlich 
with  his  fine  ways  on  top.  Only  two  men 
understood  the  rabbi  better,  Karfunkelstein, 
the  book-dealer,  whose  father  had  been  rabbi, 
and  Schlesinger,  the  old  iron  monger.  And 
130 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


then  there  was  another  who  might  have  if 
he  had  wanted  to ;  a  sensible,  amiable,  good, 
intelligent,  and  witty  man.  He  joked  about 
the  entire  congregation  and  had  a  great 
deal  of  influence,  because  they  were  afraid 
of  his  keen  judgment.  He  was  the  new 
Chazen,  the  cantor  Elias,  who  had  been 
appointed  a  short  time  after  the  rabbi. 

"  Now,  isn't  it  so,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
isn't  it  more  of  a  misfortune  than  a  shame 
if  one  hasn't  had  the  opportunity  to  learn? 
But  it  is  a  shame  if  one  hasn't  respect  for 
the  knowledge  of  others,  and  if  one  hurts 
the  feelings  of  those  to  whom  one  should 
look  up  with  respect.  Cantor  Elias  once 
said  to  Dr.  Merzbach :  '  If  you  want  to 
remain  friends  with  the  Parchonim  here, 
my  dear  Herr  Doktor,  you  must  learn 
Klabberjas,  and  Franzefuss,  and  Sixty-six. 
Here  cards  are  more  important  than  the 
pages  of  the  Gemoreh.' 

"  He  was  right,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  and 
the  worse  he  thought  and  spoke  of  the 
131 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


people,  and  the  more  disrespectfully  he 
treated  them,  the  better  they  were  to  him. 
He  could  always  carry  his  point.  Every 
year  an  increase  in  salary.  And  they  let  him 
do  what  he  wanted.  When  he  stood  before 
the  Omed  on  Shabbes  and  Yontef  and  be- 
gan to  sing,  they  were  all  in  transports. 
He  sang!  Such  a  voice,  such  a  way  of 
singing!  I  don't  know  if  there  is  anything 
like  it  now.  He  touched  people  to  the  very 
marrow  of  their  bones.  Perhaps  sounds  are 
more  affecting  than  words.  What  do  you 
think,  Herr  Kreisphysikus  ?  At  any  rate 
he  had  more  influence  and  power  over  the 
Khille  than  the  rabbi.  If  the  rabbi  told 
them  something,  they  had  to  think  about  it 
first;  but  they  only  had  to  hear  what  the 
cantor  sang  to  them.  Then,  after  Shul,  he 
went  with  them  to  drink  a  glass  of  wine 
at  Heimann's,  or  lunch  with  them  at 
Schafer's.  Reb  Shafer  would  stand  at  the 
door  and  declare,  when  the  Herr  Kantor 
came,  his  heart  laughed  in  his  body.  When 
132 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


the  cantor  was  present,  there  was  always 
fun  and  merriment.  He  was  the  most  popu- 
lar man.  He  would  play  a  little  game  with 
the  people,  he  lunched  with  them,  and  did 
not  despise  Heimann's  Hungarian  wine.  He 
told  the  men  rugged  truths,  and  he  teased 
the  women.  No  one  suspected  how  genu- 
inely he  despised  them  all,  how  high  he 
was  raised  above  them.  In  a  few  clever 
words  he  himself  told  what  he  thought 
about  everything. 

"  '  Do  you  know  what  our  Rav  is  ? ' 
Once  when  I  was  present  he  asked  the  ques- 
tion of  some  Baale-Batim  with  whom  he 
was  playing  Klabber.  '  A  pearl  cast  before 
swine.' 

"  '  And  the  Rebbetzin  ?  '  some  one  asked 
in  the  midst  of  their  laughter. 

"  At  this  he  suddenly  became  quite  ser- 
ious, and  said :  '  She  is  a  pearl  picked  from 
the  coronet  of  a  princely  family.  But  you 
don't  understand;  why  should  you?  You 
know  Malkeh  and  Melcch  only  on  cards.' 
133 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Then  he  threw  down  the  ace  and  said :  '  I'll 
take  the  king  and  queen  with  the  diamond ; 
they're  in  better  hands  than  with  you.' 

"  Often  he  used  to  say  to  me :  '  You're 
right,  Eickelkatz,  for  sticking  to  the  rabbi. 
If  anyone  can  help  you,  he's  the  man,  for 
he  knows,  yes,  he  knows  what  is  going  on  in 
the  souls  of  men — and — the  Rebbetzin ! ' 

"  And  I,  I  really  did  need  someone  who 
understood  what  was  going  on  in  my  soul. 
I  myself  hardly  understood." 

He  paused  and  looked  into  space,  en- 
grossed in  thought.  I  regarded  him  in  si- 
lence; then  he  began  with  a  voice  that 
sounded  like  an  echo  from  a  great  distance : 

"  Do  you  know  what  an  unhappy  mar- 
riage is,  Herr  Kreisphysikus  ?  But  how 
should  you?  You're  a  bachelor.  You've 
seen  and  heard  of  the  thing,  but  that's 
nothing.  One  must  live  through  it  one- 
self, one  must  experience  it  in  one's  own 
person;  then  only  can  you  realize  that  it's 
the  saddest,  most  fearful  thing  that  can 
134 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


happen  to  a  human  being.  Both  parties 
are  to  blame;  it's  always  the  fault  of  both. 
For  neither  has  the  courage  to  admit  the 
truth,  to  confess,  We've  made  a  mistake; 
we  don't  suit  each  other.  They  drag 
through  their  entire  lives  in  sorrow  and 
deception;  and  again  and  again  the  heart 
is  bruised,  and  one's  own  life  and  the  life 
of  others  is  embittered.  And  when  you 
finally  see  into  it  all,  it's  too  late.  When 
your  understanding  comes,  you're  too  old. 
And  then  you  think,  it  doesn't  pay  to  begin 
anew  for  the  few  years  that  are  left.  But 
the  few  years  are  long.  Each  year  has 
twelve  months;  each  month,  thirty  days, 
and  some  have  even  thirty-one;  each  day, 
twenty-four  hours;  each  hour,  sixty  min- 
utes; each  minute,  sixty  seconds;  and  in 
each  second  you  grieve  and  fret  and  live 
your  whole  trouble  again." 

His  face  took  on  a  thoughtful  expres- 
sion. 

"  Do  you  know,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
135 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


they  say  man's  life  is  short;  and  what  are 
seventy,  or,  at  the  extreme,  eighty  years 
in  the  infinity  of  time?  As  a  moment. 
But  I  tell  you,  every  man  who  reaches  his 
maturity  lives  a  thousand  years,  because 
an  entire  life  is  condensed  in  every  moment 
in  which  he  has  an  experience.  I  don't 
know  if  you  understand  me,  Herr  Doktor. 
I  do  not  mean  those  experiences  that  make 
up  our  ordinary  life,  our  habits,  and  our 
needs.  I  mean  the  things  our  souls  live 
through.  And  every  sensation  of  the  soul 
is  a  whole  world  in  itself,  a  whole  life; 
everything  in  us  awakens  at  one  blow,  and 
leaps  into  life,  and  experiences  the  entire 
thing  with  us.  We  feel  it  with  all  our 
parts.  And  now  imagine,  Herr  Kreisphysi- 
kus,  how  many  moments  each  man  lives 
through,  how  many  thousands  of  lives. 
This  is  the  standard  we  should  use  for 
measuring  our  age.  And  if  a  man  reaches 
the  end  of  the  seventies,  like  myself,  Herr 
Doktor,  and  has  gone  through  so  many 
136 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


things,  his  life  has  not  been  short,  but  a 
thousand  years  long  and  more." 

Again  I  stood  before  the  riddle:  how 
did  this  plain  old  man  arrive  at  philosophic 
deductions  covering  every  field  of  thought, 
and  with  singular  strength  of  reasoning 
lightly  solve  the  most  difficult  problems, 
unconsciously,  led  only  by  intuition,  which 
clearly  and  firmly  guided  him  along  a  path 
where  others  groped  for  the  way  of  truth? 
Did  he  not  instinctively  arrive  at  the  cor- 
rect thing,  when  he  measured  the  extent  of 
life  by  intensity,  and  not  by  number  of 
years? 

What  had  Simon  Eichelkatz  lived 
through? 

As  though  he  read  the  question  on  my 
face  he  continued : 

"And  now  see,  Herr  Doktor,  do  you 
know  an  unhappy  marriage  is  an  eternity 
of  heartache?  And  whoever  has  lived 
through  one  is  so  old — so  old — Methuselah 
is  a  mere  boy  compared  with  him.  Nowa- 
137 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


days  you  hear  of  divorces.  In  my  days  they 
were  considered  a  shame.  A  divorced 
woman  was  regarded  as  something  low,  an 
outcast;  and  people  didn't  think  very 
highly  either  of  a  man  who  gave  a  Get. 
A  divorce  always  had  a  disgusting  flavor. 
And  here  in  the  Khille,  once  you  were 
mated,  there  was  no  way  out.  Always 
dragging  the  yoke,  always  dragging  it 
along!  So  believe  me  God,  I  really  don't 
want  to  say  anything  against  Madame  Eich- 
elkatz — I  am  sure  she  suffered  as  much  from 
it  as  I  did — but  there  was  no  getting  away 
from  it,  we  just  didn't  suit  each  other.  My 
simple  nature,  my  straightforwardness,  and 
my  lack  of  education  were  certainly  as  ob- 
noxious to  her  as  her  culture,  her  fine  man- 
ners, and  her  aristocratic  desires  were  to  me. 
She  didn't  like  my  having  to  stand  behind  a 
counter,  and  I  didn't  like  her  speaking 
French  with  the  Herr  Oberstleutnant  Von 
Boddin.  Now  tell  me,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
do  you  think  it  is  proper  for  a  bekovet 

138 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Jewish  woman  to  drop  curtseys,  to  laugh 
loud,  and  amuse  herself  with  the  officers  in 
front  of  her  husband's  store  when  they  pass 
by  toward  evening  ?  It  was  '  gnadige  Frau  ' 
and  *  Madame  Eichelkatz  '  and  a  chattering 
and  laughing  and  always  that  '  Madame 
Eichelkatz/  She  refused  to  see  that  they 
were  having  fun  at  her  expense  and  made 
mock  of  the  name  Eichelkatz,  my  good, 
honest  name,  Herr  Kreisphysikus." 

Poor  Simon  Eichelkatz !  So  jealousy  was 
his  life's  woe. 

As  if  endowed  with  clairvoyance  and  the 
ability  to  read  my  thoughts,  he  looked 
at  me  sharply  and  said : 

"  You  must  not  think  that  I  was  jeal- 
ous, not  what  one  understands  by  that 
word.  Upon  my  honor,  I  was  not.  When 
I  married  my  wife,  Friederike,  nee  Bohm, 
there  was  no  talk  of  love  between  us.  We 
married  as  all  people  married  then.  I  had 
entered  Joseph  Bohm's  business  as  clerk, 
and  later  I  married  into  it,  because  Bohm 
139 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


could  not  continue  to  carry  it  on  alone. 
He  himself  came  to  me  and  said :  '  Simon, 
if  you  want  to  marry  my  daughter  Friede- 
rike,  we  needn't  pay  a  Shadchen,  you 
needn't  and  I  needn't.  You  know  the 
business.  It's  gone  backward  within  the 
last  year;  but  if  you  look  after  it,  you  will 
advance  it  again.  You  know  it  once  was  a 
good  business,  and  I  can  no  longer  keep 
up  against  the  competition  of  others;  but 
you  can.' 

"  It  flattered  my  ambition  that  Herr 
Joseph  Bohm,  one  of  the  chief  wholesale 
dealers  in  Silesia,  should  offer  his  daughter 
to  me  himself,  to  me,  who  only  three  years 
before  had  entered  his  business  as  a  poor, 
unknown  clerk.  Simon  Eichelkatz,  who 
was  Simon  Eichelkatz?  Born  in  Tarnow, 
of  poor,  decent  folk,  I  came  to  Reissnitz 
and  made  my  fortune  there.  Just  think! 
The  son-in-law  of  Joseph  Bohm !  Such  a 
thing  had  never  been!  But  to  become  a 
son-in-law  you  must  have  a  wife;  and  I 

140 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


took  Friederike  Bohm,  who  was  aristo- 
cratically brought  up,  and  could  speak 
French." 

To-day  it  particularly  struck  me  what 
it  was  that  so  peculiarly  characterized  his 
manner  of  narrating.  As  soon  as  he  spoke 
about  personal  matters  or  told  stories  of 
the  Khille,  he  fell  into  the  jargon  and  the 
intonation  of  the  Jews  of  former  times.* 
But  when  he  dealt  with  generalities  and 
gave  expression  to  ideas  and  speculations, 
his  speech  acquired  a  swing,  his  expres- 
sions became  almost  choice,  and  the  form 
scarcely  ever  detracted  from  the  matter. 
He  grew,  as  it  were,  beyond  his  own 
bounds;  and  I  thought  I  saw  before  me 
not  a  simple  old  Jew,  but  a  sage. 

"  What  did  they  know  at  that  time  of 

*The  translator  has  found  it  impossible  to  convey 
this  subtle  distinction  in  English.  It  shows  itself  in 
the  German  by  slightly  mispronouncing  words,  for  in- 
stance, Lett  instead  of  Leute;  using  a  instead  of  the 
article  ein  (an),  and  very  slightly  changing  the  cor- 
rect order  of  the  words. 

141 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


such  notions?  They  harnessed  two  human 
beings  together  and  said,  Now  see  how  you 
get  along  with  each  other."  A  shadow 
flitted  over  his  countenance,  usually  so 
mild. 

"  And  yet,"  I  interposed,  "  Jewish  mar- 
riages as  a  whole  were  seldom  unfortu- 
nate." 

"  That  was  because  husband  and  wife 
were  confined  to  their  own  homes,  their 
children,  and  at  most  to  their  Mishpocheh. 
Nothing  strange,  from  the  outside,  came 
to  disturb  them.  Life  passed  in  the  closest 
relation  of  two  human  beings.  Nowadays 
it's  different.  But  if  it  happened  to  be 
different  in  my  time,  it  was  a  calamity — 
and  it  was  a  calamity  that  Frau  Friederike 
Eichelkatz,  nee  Bohm,  had  learned  to  speak 
French.  During  the  first  year  things  went 
pretty  well.  To  be  sure,  even  then  she 
spoke  scornfully  of  having  married  an  un- 
educated man,  who  knew  nothing  but 
whether  cloths  were  bad  or  good,  who 
142 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


could  tell  at  the  first  glance  whether  a 
piece  of  cloth  came  from  Cottbus  or  from 
Briinn,  whether  it  was  manufactured  in 
Germany  or  in  England,  whether  the  woof 
was  wool  or  thread,  and  whether  the  wool 
was  pure  or  mixed.  All  this  was  of  value  in 
business,  but  not  in  marriage.  Marriage 
requires  other  knowledge  to  create  happi- 
ness. And  when  my  wife  would  ask  me 
so  mockingly :  '  Do  you  suppose  anyone 
in  Tarnow  knows  French  ?  '  I  had  enough 
for  a  whole  week. 

"  But  I  always  answered  back ;  and  that's 
what  made  the  trouble.  I  didn't  have  peace 
and  quiet  until  I  realized  that  it's  best  not 
to  say  a  word,  not  one  word.  By  the  time 
I  found  this  out  it  was  too  late.  I  believe, 
Herr  Doktor,  one  always  is  too  old  by  the 
time  one  learns  sense.  It  doesn't  do  your- 
self any  good  any  more,  and  the  young  folk 
want  to  get  their  own  foolish  experiences. 
And  so  it's  really  no  use  to  get  sensible." 

"  How  can  you  say  anything  like  that, 
143 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Herr  Eichelkatz  ?  •  Haven't  I  the  pleasure 
of  listening  to  so  many  experiences  of  yours 
which  interest  me  and  give  me  food  for 
thought  ?  Don't  your  stories  of  the  congre- 
gation give  me  a  picture  which  is  significant 
to  everyone  who  loves  his  people,  loves  them 
faithfully  and  with  sorrow  at  the  heart? 
Besides,  wasn't  it  through  the  events  and 
incidents  of  your  life  that  you  arrived, 
whether  early  or  late,  at  that  state  of  peace 
and  calm  which  beautifies  your  old  age?  " 

He  listened  to  me  attentively,  and  a  mel- 
ancholy smile  played  about  his  mouth. 

"  Peace  and  calm,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
are  to  be  found  only  after  pain  has  been 
gotten  rid  of  in  life.  But  to  get  rid  of  pain 
you  must  have  it  first.  I  have  had  much 
pain,  much  pain,  and  great  Tzores ;  and  now 
when  sitting  here  so  quietly,  you  know — 
believe  me — Herr  Kreisphysikus,  you  by 
and  by  become  accustomed  to  that  other 
peace,  without  end,  and  you  think  of  it  with- 
out dread  or  horror.  Sometimes  you  even — 

144 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


well,  we  won't  speak  of  it,  Herr  Doktor. 
Praised  be  God  for  having  bestowed  such 
a  long  life  on  me.  My  wife  has  been  dead 
twenty  years  and — " 

I  waited  in  a  state  of  tense  expectation 
that  he  would  say  something  about  his  son  ; 
but  he  hesitated  for  only  an  instant  and  con- 
tinued : 

"  We  lived  together  thirty-three  years. 
Do  you  know  what  that  means,  Herr  Kreis- 
physikus,  if  she  looked  down  on  and  despised 
her  husband  in  the  very  first  year  of  her 
marriage?  Because  he  wasn't  so  fine  as 
she,  merely  an  immigrant  from  Galicia? 
Because  his  Mishpocheh  were  poor  people, 
and  his  father  wasn't  a  wholesale  dealer,  but 
merely  a  peddler,  and  because  he  didn't  know 
French  ?  Even  though  I  showed  them  later 
that  I  knew  something  and  was  something, 
and  even  though  all  the  others  appreciated 
me,  in  the  eyes  of  Madame  Eichelkatz  I  al- 
ways remained  a  creature  of  a  lower  order, 
an  intruder,  an  upstart.  And  she  never  for- 
145 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


gave  her  father  for  having  made  me  his 
son-in-law.  The  better  I  succeeded  in  busi- 
ness, and  the  wealthier  we  grew,  the 
prouder  and  more  arrogant  she  became.  I 
was  good  enough  to  earn  a  living,  and  she 
had  no  fault  to  find  with  my  business  career ; 
but  as  to  the  trouble  I  took  to  cultivate  my 
mind,  she  paid  no  attention  to  that.  For  her 
I  always  remained  Simon  Eichelkatz  from 
Tarnow,  an  employee  in  her  father's  busi- 
ness, a  person  with  an  absurd  name  and 
no  manners,  whom  she  had  married  at  her 
father's  wish  and  command.  '  How  did 
you  happen  to  marry  such  a  husband  ?  '  the 
Oberstleutnant  Von  Boddin  once  asked  her, 
while  standing  in  front  of  the  shop  door. 
'  It's  a  genuine  mesalliance.'  I  was  standing 
behind  the  counter,  and  I  felt  that  what  the 
Oberstleutnant  was  saying  was  a  great  insult 
to  me,  even  though  I  didn't  know  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word.  But  I  couldn't  go  and 
knock  him  down.  Now  could  I,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus  ?  I,  a  Jew,  and  he  an  Oberst- 
146 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


leutnant  ?  But  I  made  a  mental  note  of  the 
word,  and  I  kept  repeating  it  to  myself :  mes- 
alliance, mesalliance.  Then,  the  next  Shab- 
bes,  after  Mairev,  I  went  to  the  Herr  Rab- 
biner  and  asked  him  what  it  meant.  When  he 
explained  it  to  me,  I  all  of  a  sudden  became 
real  quiet  and  thought  to  myself,  why  the 
Herr  Oberstleutnant  after  all  is  perfectly 
right.  It  was  a  mesalliance.  A  failure  of 
a  marriage,  I  tell  you,  Herr  Doktor,  and  it 
didn't  get  any  better  through  the  birth  of 
our  son  in  the  second  year.  As  long  as  her 
father,  Joseph  Bohm,  was  alive,  she  had  a 
little  consideration;  but  after  his  death  that 
stopped.  She  sought  company  of  her  own. 
She  associated  with  the  Goyim,  with  the 
Frau  Rechnungsrat  and  the  Frau  Kanz- 
leirat,  and  more  such  aristocratic  Shnorrers, 
who  accepted  many  a  little  favor  here  and 
there  from  their  well-to-do  friend.  Then 
came  the  misfortune  with  the  Oberstleutnant 
and  the  officers,  who  had  their  sport  with 
the  handsome  Jewess.  She  became  more 
147 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


and  more  conceited  and  foolish;  she  was 
ashamed  of  her  husband;  and  one  day  she 
had  visiting  cards  engraved  with  '  Madame 
Eichelkatz,  nee  Bohm.'  The  name  stuck 
to  her  in  the  Khille.  They  began  to  despise 
her  and  to  pity  me." 

It  had  gotten  late.  I  had  another  profes- 
sional visit  to  pay,  and  I  took  leave  of  my 
old  friend.  I  am  looking  forward  eagerly 
to  his  future  revelations.  As  I  crossed  the 
Ring  past  the  shops,  I  suddenly  saw,  in  my 
mind's  eye,  an  industrious  man,  humbled  by 
his  lot,  standing  behind  the  counter,  and 
before  the  door  a  handsome  woman.  And 
I  murmured  to  myself :  "  Madame  Eichel- 
katz, nee  Bohm." 

OCTOBER  23. 

Late  this  afternoon  I  hunted  up  my  old 
friend  in  the  expectation  that  he  would  con- 
tinue the  story  of  his  life.  Mention  had 
been  made  of  his  son,  though  only  en 
passant,  and  I  cherished  the  secret  hope  that 
148 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Simon  Eichelkatz  would  return  to  him  now 
that  he  had  once  begun  to  pour  out  his 
heart  to  me.  But  to-day  he  didn't  say  any- 
thing bearing  on  what  had  gone  before. 
When  I  entered,  I  found  him  in  a  gay  mood ; 
and  before  I  crossed  the  threshold  he  called 
out  to  me : 

"  It  occurred  to  me  to-day  that  I  wanted 
some  time  or  other  to  tell  you  a  Maaseh, 
which  is  half  funny,  half  sad." 

And  he  only  recounted  anecdotes.  Not 
one  word  about  the  events  in  his  life — only 
the  story  of  the  great  dearth  and  famine. 
Simon  Eichelkatz  was  right;  it  is  a  tragi- 
comic history. 

"  It  was  a  year  of  famine  after  the  war 
of  '59;  sickness  everywhere;  bad  harvests, 
bad  business ;  the  potatoes  rotting  in  the 
ground  on  account  of  heavy  rains  and  floods. 
Herr  Kreisphysikus,  to  understand  the  mis- 
ery of  the  people  thoroughly,  you  must  live 
through  such  a  year  here. 

"  All  over  the  mining  district  typhus,  for 
149 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


which  the  stupid  workmen  and  peasants 
thought  there  was  only  one  remedy,  the 
whisky  flask.  The  women  and  children 
died  miserably  on  their  foul,  ill-smelling 
straw  heaps,  the  men  in  the  ditches.  Herr 
Kreisphysikus,  happily  it  is  different  now; 
conditions  have  improved,  it  cannot  be 
denied,  since  forty  years  ago.  Any  one 
might  be  satisfied  to  have  the  difference  ex- 
pressed in  money  added  to  his  fortune.  On 
that  account  it's  silly  always  to  talk  of  the 
good  old  times.  The  world's  gotten  much 
better,  much  better.  That's  what  this  old 
man  tells  you.  The  winter  was  terrible  that 
year.  To  be  sure,  the  typhus  grew  less 
severe  when  the  cold  set  in;  but  the  poor 
people  suffered  from  the  cold  instead.  Every 
day  you  found  bodies  frozen  to  death  in  the 
ditches  by  the  roadside.  Of  course  they 
were  usually  drunkards;  nevertheless  they 
were  human  beings,  and  such  occurrences 
aroused  horror  among  us.  The  members 
of  families  gathered  closer  together,  they 
150 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


doubly  realized  the  comfort  of  a  heated  room 
and  the  blessing  of  a  well-ordered  existence. 
Every  sign  of  well-being  was  regarded  with 
heightened  interest;  and  one  day  the  great- 
est excitement  was  caused  by  the  appearance 
of  a  new  winter  coat  on  the  back  of  the  wife 
of  the  vice-president.  She  wore  it  to  Shul 
for  the  first  time  on  Sukkoth.  Frau  Wil- 
helm  Weinberger  was  the  wife  of  a  well-to- 
do  man  who  had  brought  her  the  garment 
from  the  Leipsic  Fair.  I  can  see  it  now, 
as  though  it  were  yesterday  it  happened. 
And  you  may  be  sure  the  other  men  had  it 
impressed  on  their  memory,  too;  for  you 
can  imagine,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  it  aroused 
as  much  envy  as  excitement ;  and  after  Shul 
most  families  were  probably  discussing  the 
coat  of  Frau  Wilhelm  Weinberger.  It  was 
dark  blue,  of  the  finest  buckskin,  lined  with 
white  and  light  blue  striped  cloth,  and  bor- 
dered at  the  bottom  with  a  band  of  black 
lambskin.  The  collar  and  cuffs  were  also  of 
151 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


lambskin.  I  tell  you,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
it  was  a  marvel." 

He  chuckled  as  he  always  did  when  some- 
thing tickled  his  sense  of  humor.  I  did  not 
know  whether  it  was  the  winter  coat  of 
Frau  Wilhelm  Weinberger  which  amused 
him  so  greatly  after  the  lapse  of  forty  years, 
or  other  recollections  suggested  by  it.  He 
paused  for  a  long  while  before  continuing 
his  narrative. 

"  Besides  Teacher  Sandberg  there  were 
two  other  teachers  in  the  congregational 
school  at  that  time,  Teacher  Deutsch  and 
Teacher  Herrnstadt,  and  two  assistants  for 
the  lowest  classes.  All  were  married  and 
blessed  with  children;  unfortunately,  they 
were  not  blessed  with  a  corresponding  in- 
come. The  Khille  was  not  in  a  position  to 
give  them  sufficient  salaries;  as  it  was,  its 
budget  for  the  officers  that  conducted  the 
services  was  considerable.  So  the  teachers 
were  extremely  hard  put  to  it  to  support 
their  families  in  a  bekovet  way ;  and  in  bad 
152 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


times,  when  it  is  particularly  difficult  to  get 
extra  jobs,  like  giving  private  instruction, 
they  had  no  smooth  road  to  travel,  nebbich. 
Sandberg  had  it  a  little  easier,  because  on 
his  free  afternoons  he  was  employed  as  sec- 
retary to  the  congregation  and  he  kept  the 
minutes  of  the  meetings.  But  Deutsch  had 
a  hard  time  of  it.  He  had  two  daughters, 
and  a  son  who  worked  in  a  dry  goods  store 
in  Breslau.  His  wife  and  daughters  were 
very  industrious.  They  did  embroidery  for 
the  shops,  and  tried  in  every  possible  way  to 
add  to  the  small  income  of  their  father.  The 
son  also  contributed  to  the  support  of  the 
family,  so  that  to  all  outward  appearances 
they  seemed  to  be  more  than  the  children  of 
the  other  teachers.  Besides,  they  always 
associated  with  the  wealthier  families  in  the 
congregation.  But  exactly  this  was  their 
misfortune.  People  with  daughters  were 
annoyed  that  the  daughters  of  Teacher 
Deutsch  were  always  so  well-dressed — not 
like  children  of  a  poor  teacher,  but  like  those 

153 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


of  rich  Baale-Batim.  The  teachers  in  meet- 
ing had  decided  to  ask  for  a  raise  of  their 
salaries  because  of  the  increased  cost  of 
living  on  account  of  the  famine.  They 
couldn't  go  on  in  the  old  way.  The  price 
of  bread,  potatoes,  coffee,  and  sugar  was 
exorbitant.  As  it  was,  they  ate  meat  only 
once  a  week,  on  Shabbes ;  and  it  was  impos- 
sible to  obtain  the  fuel  needed  during  that 
severe  winter.  In  a  very  emphatic  and 
touching  petition  drawn  up  by  Teacher 
Herrnstadt,  the  matter  was  brought  to  the 
attention  of  the  president  and  the  board,  who 
were  requested  to  grant  an  increase  to  the 
teachers  for  the  coming  year." 

At  this  point  Feiwel  Silbermann  entered 
with  a  large  cup  of  coffee  and  a  freshly  filled 
pipe.  Simon  sipped  the  hot  drink  with  evi- 
dent enjoyment,  puffed  at  his  pipe  several 
times,  and  said: 

"  Yes,  at  that  time  things  didn't  go  very 
well  with  us,  Herr  Kreisphysikus.     Feiwel, 
do  you  still  remember  the  year  1859?  " 
154 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  Why  shouldn't  I  remember  it,  Herr 
Eichelkatz?  Am  I  going  to  forget  how  we 
starved  and  froze?  It  wasn't  anything, 
wasn't  it?  That  was  a  year!  The  snow 
lay  for  four  weeks.  You  wouldn't  think 
there  could  be  such  cold,  and  Teacher 
Deutsch's  daughters  got  new  winter  coats." 

With  this  he  shambled  out  of  the  room 
and  Simon  said : 

"  Yes,  the  cold  was  frightful.  But  in 
spite  of  it  we  were  greatly  astonished  to  see 
Caroline  and  Lenchen  Deutsch,  the  teacher's 
daughters,  cross  the  Ring  on  Christmas 
day  in  new  winter  coats.  Of  course,  we 
ought  to  have  been  glad  that  the  girls  had 
warm  clothing  in  such  freezing  weather. 
But  human  nature  is  not  so  indulgent,  and 
the  Khille  rather  bore  them  a  grudge. 
Everyone  ran  to  the  window  to  make  sure 
of  the  wonderful  fact.  '  Look  at  them/  they 
called  to  one  another, '  Caroline  and  Lenchen 
Deutsch  have  new  coats  on.  In  such  bad 
times!  Really,  you  wouldn't  believe  it. 
155 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Chutzpeh ! '  But  the  worst  of  it  was  that 
the  coats  in  cut  and  color,  in  goods  and 
trimming,  were  exactly  like  Frau  Wilhelm 
Weinberger's — blue  buckskin  and  black 
lambskin — the  latest  style.  The  excitement 
caused  by  Frau  Wilhelm  Weinberger's  gar- 
ment wasn't  a  circumstance  to  what  Caro- 
line and  Lenchen  Deutsch's  called  forth. 
And  the  consequences,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
the  consequences ! "  Again  he  laughed 
softly.  "  I  don't  believe  blue  buckskin  and 
black  lambskin  have  ever  produced  such  con- 
sequences. On  the  day  after  Christmas  there 
was  a  meeting  of  the  committee.  The  first 
matter  for  consideration  was  the  petition  of 
the  teachers  for  a  raise  in  salary.  The  com- 
mittee almost  unanimously  agreed  that  there 
was  reason  in  the  request.  It  wasn't  fitting 
that  men  intrusted  with  the  education  of  the 
young  should  suffer  want.  In  order  to  have 
a  proper  influence  upon  children  teachers 
should  have  a  free  mind  and  a  light  heart. 
Thus  spoke  Dr.  Ehrlich,  with  great  elo- 

156 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


quence ;  and  he  moved  that  the  petitioners  be 
granted  a  raise  of  thirty  dollars  for  the  year 
of  famine.  Hereupon  our  honorable  friend, 
Herr  Doktor  Krakauer,  saving  your  rever- 
ence, arose  and  said  he  had  an  addition  to 
make  to  the  proposition : '  to  exclude  Teacher 
Deutsch  from  the  benefit  of  the  raise,  be- 
cause for  two  days  his  daughters  have  been 
flaunting  about  in  winter  coats  of  blue  buck- 
skin with  black  lambskin,  coats  exactly  like 
the  one  which  Frau  Wilhelm  Weinberger 
wears.  If  anyone  can  afford  that,  he  needs 
no  raise.' ' 

A  dumbfounded  expression  probably 
came  on  my  face,  because  Simon  looked  at 
me,  and  with  that  furtive  smile  of  his  he 
said: 

"  Every  word  of  what  I  tell  you  is  true, 
Herr  Kreisphysikus.  Herr  Manasse, 
Zichrono  livrochoh,  tried  to  oppose  him  in 
vain.  He  assured  the  committee  that  he 
himself  had  brought  the  cloaks  with  him 
from  Breslau,  where  the  son  of  Teacher 

157 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Deutsch,  a  clerk  at  Immerwahr's,  had  given 
them  to  him,  because  he  wanted  to  save  the 
expense  of  expressing  them.  They  had 
been  lying  there  ever  since  the  beginning  of 
November,  and  Teacher  Deutsch's  son  had 
bought  them  way  below  the  regular  selling- 
price  from  a  travelling  salesman,  who  had 
brought  them  to  Breslau  as  samples  months 
before;  one  of  them  in  fact  was  quite 
damaged.  But  all  that  didn't  help  matters 
any.  Blue  buckskin  with  lambskin  remained 
a  crime.  It  was  no  use  to  urge  that  a  good 
son  and  brother  had  pinched  himself  to  give 
his  parents  and  sisters  a  pleasure,  and  that 
he  was  able  to  do  it  only  because  the  cloaks 
were  cheap  and  underpriced.  Other  objec- 
tions made  by  two  members  beside  Manasse 
were  also  refuted.  They  say  Manasse  almost 
cried  when,  at  the  end,  he  called  out :  *  But 
for  heaven's  sake,  they  can't  eat  blue  buck- 
skin and  black  lambskin  to  satisfy  their  hun- 
ger ! '  Even  that  was  of  no  use.  Our 
amiable  Dr.  Krakauer,  saving  your  rever- 
158 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


ence,  carried  his  motion,  and  Teacher 
Deutsch's  petition  was  refused." 

Simon  looked  into  space,  then  said :  "  Do 
you  know  the  real  meaning  of  the  word 
'  nebbich,'  Herr  Kreisphysikus  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do,  nebbich." 

OCTOBER  29. 

Autumn  this  year  is  very  disagreeable. 
It  rains  a  great  deal,  and  the  damp,  foggy 
atmosphere  has  a  bad  effect  on  health,  both 
in  the  city  and  the  country.  I  have  had  a 
great  deal  to  do.  Simon  Eichelkatz  was 
also  indisposed  for  several  days.  At  his  age 
every  disturbance  of  the  physical  state  is 
serious.  But  Feiwel  Silbermann  is  so  touch- 
ingly  attentive  that  the  care  he  bestows  upon 
the  old  man  quickly  carries  him  through  his 
trouble.  My  medical  instructions  are  obeyed 
by  Feiwel  so  punctually  and  accurately  that 
I  can  be  sure  of  their  effect.  We  stuck  our 
patient  into  bed  for  a  few  days,  but  to-day 
he  is  sitting  up,  and  this  afternoon  I  allowed 

159 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


him  to  smoke  his  pipe.  That  raised  his 
spirits  immediately,  and  he  became  more 
talkative.  A  light  veil  of  sentimentality  still 
lay  on  his  soul,  often  the  case  with  con- 
valescents, and  he  at  last  returned  to  the 
narrative  of  personal  experiences.  He  re- 
membered a  sickness  he  had  had  in  1867, 
late  in  the  summer — a  sort  of  dysentery  or 
cholera  nostras,  then  epidemic.  "  The  real 
illness  lasted  only  a  few  days,  but  after- 
wards," he  said,  "  I  was  so  weak,  I  couldn't 
stir  a  finger.  I  remember  it  as  though  it 
happened  to-day,  how  I  sat  before  the  shop 
in  the  sun,  to  draw  some  warmth  again  into 
my  bones.  They  fairly  rattled.  I  didn't 
have  a  Feiwel  Silbermann  to  look  after  me 
then." 

"And  your  wife?"  I  asked. 

"  My  wife  wasn't  at  home.  She  was  in 
Warmbrunn  with  our  son,  who  was  to  re- 
cuperate there.  He  had  just  passed  his  final 
examinations  at  the  Gymnasium.  He  passed 
them  splendidly,  Herr  Kreisphysikus.  They 
160 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


even  excused  him  from  a  part  of  his  oral 
examinations.  The  whole  city  spoke  of  it; 
and  when  Herr  Professor  Lebeck  came  in 
the  afternoon  to  buy  cloth  for  a  pair  of 
trousers,  he  said  to  me :  '  You  may  be  proud 
of  your  son,  Herr  Eichelkatz ;  he  does  credit 
to  you  and  to  our  Gymnasium.  It's  been  a 
long  time  since  we've  had  so  gifted  and  in- 
dustrious a  pupil.'  Lebeck's  red  nose  glis- 
tened as  though  he  had  come  directly  from 
Heimann  to  me.  Of  course,  I  sold  him  the 
goods  very  cheap;  and  as  he  went  out  he 
repeated :  '  Yes,  your  son,  he'll  be  something 
extra  some  day.' ' 

Simon  Eichelkatz  looked  down  thought- 
fully, then  he  blew  a  thick  cloud  of  tobacco 
smoke  into  the  air  and  added  : 

"  Fortunately,  it  passed  quickly ;  only  the 
after-part,  until  I  got  back  my  full 
strength — but  still  it  wasn't  necessary  to 
disturb  my  wife  in  her  holiday,  and  my  son. 
At  first  Herr  Doktor  Merzbach  wanted  to 
write  to  her;  but  when  I  explained  to  him 
161 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


why  I  didn't  want  him  to,  he  gave  up  the 
idea.  Why?  Herr  Kreisphysikus !  Ma- 
dame Eichelkatz  would  probably  have  come 
back,  if  news  of  my  illness  had  been  sent 
to  her;  but  she  wouldn't  have  brought  love 
into  my  house,  and  no  good  will,  and  no 
devotion,  just  what  a  weak,  sick  man  needs. 
On  that  account  I  preferred  not  to  have  her 
here,  but  to  let  her  amuse  herself  there  with 
her  company.  It  had  just  then  come  into 
style  to  go  away  in  the  summer;  and  this 
was  the  first  time  Madame  Eichelkatz,  nee 
Bohm,  had  followed  the  fashion.  And  there 
she  met  her  good  friends.  I  told  this  to  the 
Herr  Rabbiner,  and  he  thought  the  matter 
over  and  asked :  '  Can  nothing  be  done, 
Eichelkatz,  to  bring  peace  into  your  married 
life?  Now  that  your  son  is  grown  up  and 
ready  to  go  to  the  university  ? '  I  felt  as 
though  the  Herr  Rabbiner  were  reproaching 
me.  And  then  for  the  first  and  last  time 
I  opened  out  my  heart  freely.  Perhaps  be- 
cause I  was  so  weak  and  alone.  I  told  him 
162 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


what  vexations  and  humiliations  I  had  en- 
dured for  twenty  years.  And  always  carry- 
ing the  trouble  in  secret,  so  as  not  to  give 
offense  and  for  the  sake  of  the  child.  He 
was  not  to  see  how  matters  stood  with  us, 
and  besides  he  was  greatly  attached  to  her 
and  loved  her  tenderly,  for  she  had  taken 
him  entirely  to  herself.  I  ask  you  who  was 
Simon  Eichelkatz  of  Tarnow?  At  most  a 
decent,  industrious  fellow,  who,  however, 
didn't  trust  himself  to  say  what  he  thought. 
It  was  the  custom,  you  know,  in  Jewish 
homes  for  the  women  to  concern  themselves 
with  the  house  and  with  the  bringing  up  of 
the  children,  and  for  the  men  to  earn  a 
living.  But  there  was  perfect  understanding 
between  husband  and  wife,  real  harmony; 
and  the  mother  taught  the  children  that  the 
father,  who  looked  out  for  them  and  worked 
for  them,  was  the  centre  of  the  household. 
This  was  utterly  lacking  with  Madame  and 
myself.  I  always  remained  a  stranger  to  both 
mother  and  child.  She  chose  his  companions 
163 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


from  among  the  Christians  with  whom  she 
associated,  and  she  estranged  him  from 
Jewish  ways  exactly  as  she  had  estranged 
him  from  his  father.  She  kept  up  the  neces- 
sary appearances  before  the  outside  world; 
but  within  our  home  it  looked  very  bad. 
The  boy  was  not  put  on  a  sure,  sound  basis 
for  the  future.  I  know  it  now,  Herr  Kreis- 
physikus.  Earlier  in  life  I  could  not  see 
things  so  clearly.  But  when  Dr.  Merzbach 
came  to  me  that  time,  I  realized  all;  and  I 
told  him  everything,  even  that  it  was  too 
late  to  change  matters,  since  my  son  was 
almost  nineteen  years  old  and  would  leave 
home.  Dr.  Merzbach  recognized  the  truth 
of  what  I  said,  because  he  didn't  say  any- 
thing in  reply.  Then  I  went  on  and  said : 
'  Believe  me,  Herr  Rabbiner,  if  two  human 
beings  are  yoked  together  and  do  not  go  in 
exactly  the  same  way,  hand  in  hand,  but  one 
pulls  to  the  left,  the  other  to  the  right,  they 
cannot  reach  a  common  goal.  For  that  mat- 
ter they  have  no  common  goal.'  The  Herr 
164 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Rabbiner  shook  his  head  and  asked :  '  How 
about  your  son's  future  ?  ' 

"  '  Each  of  us  will  probably  wish  for  a 
different  future/  I  answered.  And  that's 
the  way  it  was,  Herr  Kreisphysikus.  What 
she  wished  came  to  pass.  Her  son  became 
a  very  renowned  man.  She  didn't  live  to  see 
his  greatness,  and  I  who  did,  I  hadn't  longed 
for  it." 

He  paused,  as  though  revolving  his  words 
in  his  mind  and  added: 

"  You  mustn't  misunderstand  me,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus.  But  what  has  our  personal 
happiness  to  do  with  external  success? 
What  can  one  ever  receive  from  others  that 
does  not  exist  in  oneself?  Hasn't  every 
happiness  a  different  form?  Hasn't  every 
happiness  a  different  name?  Honor  is  happi- 
ness to  one  man,  wealth  to  another,  beauty 
to  a  third,  fame  to  a  fourth.  Hasn't  hap- 
piness a  thousand  names  and  forms?  And 
have  you  ever  seen  two  beings  who  call 
the  same  thing  happiness?  There  may  be 

165 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


a  few  things  that  are  looked  on  as  happi- 
ness— contentment,  health,  fulfilment  of 
duty,  wealth — but,  my  dear  Herr  Kreisphy- 
sikus,  that  only  sounds  nice — it  may  be  a 
part,  but  it  is  not  the  whole.  That  which  all 
men  wish  to  possess  is  not  the  happiness  that 
each  individual  imagines  for  himself;  be- 
cause it  depends  upon  the  nature  of  each 
individual;  and  there  are  as  many  happi- 
nesses as  there  have  been  men  since  the  crea- 
tion of  the  world.  Or,  if  you  wish  it,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  hap- 
piness at  all.  Because,  if  you  can't  see  a 
thing  and  say,  it  is  thus  and  so,  does  it 
exist?  I  can  say,  this  is  an  apple,  this  is  a 
potato,  this  is  my  pipe ;  but  I  can't  say,  this 
is  happiness.  How  does  it  look  ?  Round  or 
long,  wide  or  narrow?  I  must  laugh  when 
I  think  that  Madame  Eichelkatz,  nee  Bohm, 
and  Simon  Eichelkatz  should  have  said,  that 
is  our  happiness,  that's  the  way  it  looks, 
that's  the  way  it  should  look." 
He  waved  his  hand. 

166 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  I  know  all ;  I  know  what  you  want  to 
say,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  and  what  Herr 
Dr.  Merzbach  also  said  that  time.  Our  son ! 
Do  you  know  the  sort  of  picture  Madame 
Eichelkatz  drew  for  herself  of  her  son? 
Great  and  renowned  in  the  large  outside 
world,  so  renowned  that  Herr  Oberst- 
leutnant  Von  Boddin  and  Frau  Steuerein- 
nehmer  Antonie  Metzner,  her  bosom  friend, 
would  open  their  eyes  in  astonishment. 
That's  the  way  her  happiness  would  have 
looked.  She  was  ambitious  and  proud  and 
knew  French.  And  do  you  know  how  my 
son  looked  in  my  dreams?  A  good,  fine 
man,  an  honest  Jew,  who  would  conduct 
my  business.  I  was  simple  and  industrious, 
and  I  knew  all  about  cloth.  So  you  may 
believe  me,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  a  Madame 
who  speaks  French,  and  a  Jew  who  can 
tell  at  a  glance  without  touching  it  whether 
a  piece  of  cloth  comes  from  Cottbus  or 
England,  two  people  like  that  have  very 
different  ideas  of  happiness !  " 
167 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


I  followed  his  words  with  increasing  as- 
tonishment. How  do  such  ideas  regarding 
individuality  and  such  clearly-defined  no- 
tions of  eudaemonism  arise  in  the  brain  of 
this  old  man  living  remote  from  the  world? 
Whence  this  wisdom?  While  these  ques- 
tions agitated  my  mind,  he  continued : 

"  On  that  afternoon  when  I  sat  in  the 
sun  in  front  of  my  shop,  I  began  to  ponder 
about  these  things;  and  since  then  I  have 
accustomed  myself  to  reflect  about  this  and 
that  by  myself;  because  I  hadn't  a  single 
friend  with  whom  I  could  talk  myself  out. 
But,  do  you  know,  Herr  Doktor,  I  think  it 
is  better  to  be  alone  if  one  wants  to  think. 
And  Dr.  Merzbach  passed  by  and  saw  me 
sitting  there  alone;  and,  while  he  was  talk- 
ing to  me,  Rittmeister  Von  Bliicher  and 
Major  Von  Schmidt  cut  diagonally  across 
the  Ring  to  come  up  to  us.  Both  stepped 
up  and  greeted  the  rabbi,  who  enjoyed  great 
consideration  among  the  Christians. 

" '  How  do  you  do,  Herr  Doktor,'  the 

168 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Rittmeister  called  out  and  laughed :  '  Do  you 
know  the  news?  To-morrow  I  shall  have 
the  Jew  Haberstroh  shot;  he  was  delivered 
up  to  us  from  Oswiecin  as  a  spy.  He's 
said  to  have  served  in  the  Austrian  army 
near  Neuberun.' 

"  Dr.  Merzbach  answered  quietly : 

"  '  Since  you  laugh  over  it,  I'm  not  wor- 
ried, Herr  Rittmeister.  I  understand  your 
joke.  You  would  not  laugh  if  a  human  life 
were  actually  at  stake.  At  all  events,  it's 
really  a  sad  story  that  just  this  good,  decent 
old  man  should  be  falsely  suspected  and  de- 
livered up.' 

"  '  Well,  what  shall  we  do  with  the  fel- 
low, Herr  Doktor?  According  to  military 
law,  he  ought  to  have  been  dead  long  ago. 
Ask  the  major  if  I'm  not  right.' 

"  '  I  don't  doubt  the  truth  of  your  words, 
Herr  Rittmeister ;  but  I  also  know  that  both 
you  gentlemen  would  not  have  a  poor  inno- 
cent man  put  to  death  on  an  unproved  ac- 

369 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


cusation.     I  pledge  myself  for  Haberstroh's 
innocence.' 

"  '  Tut,  tut  tut,  Herr  Doktor,  will  you  be 
answerable  for  the  consequences  ?  ' 

"  With  these  words  they  left  the  rabbi, 
laughing,  and  Haberstroh  was  not  shot  to 
death.  After  a  few  days  it  turned  out  that 
he  had  been  arrested  on  the  spiteful  charge 
of  a  business  rival.  Dr.  Merzbach  had  gath- 
ered the  proofs  and  handed  them  over  to 
the  Rittmeister.  He  himself  had  gone  to 
Oswiecin  for  this  purpose.  That's  the  way 
he  always  threw  himself  into  affairs,  and 
helped  with  all  his  energy." 

I  was  just  about  to  put  a  question  to 
Simon  Eichelkatz  about  the  spy,  when  he 
suddenly  said : 

"  Do  you  believe,  Herr  Kreisphysikus, 
that  to  be  good  and  noble  and  help  your 
fellow-beings  is  happiness  ?  " 

"  Have  you  ever  read  anything  by 
Goethe  or  heard  of  him  ?  "  I  returned,  evad- 
ing the  question. 

170 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


"  No,  Herr  Doktor,  I  never  read  anything 
by  him,  but  I've  heard  of  him." 

"  Goethe  says : '  Let  man  be  noble,  helpful, 
and  good.'  Do  you  suppose  by  these  words 
he  wanted  to  show  men  the  road  to  hap- 
piness, Herr  Eichelkatz?" 

"Who  can  tell?" 

NOVEMBER  n. 

A  clear  winter  has  at  last  come  after  the 
foggy  days  of  autumn.  It  has  been  snowing 
for  several  days,  and  in  the  morning  Jack 
Frost  draws  crystal  flowers  on  the  window 
panes. 

This  morning  I  received  a  remarkable 
epistle  from  my  mother.  Its  tone  is  very 
different  from  what  I  am  accustomed  to  in 
her.  As  a  rule  she  avoids  all  interference 
with  my  private  affairs;  and  now,  all  at 
once,  she  writes,  she  doesn't  think  it  proper 
that  I  cut  myself  off,  as  I  do,  from  all  inter- 
course, and  open  up  no  relations  whatsoever 
with  the  prominent  members  of  the  com- 
171 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


munity.  She  goes  on  to  say  that  she  has 
learned  from  trustworthy  sources  that  very 
fine  and  cultivated  families  live  in  Reissnitz, 
who  would  esteem  it  a  pleasure  to  see  me 
in  their  homes,  and  who  are  probably  hurt 
even  now  that  I  do  not  introduce  myself 
to  them.  She  remarks  that  I  am  not  inti- 
mate even  with  my  colleagues,  who  would 
be  justified  in  making  a  claim  upon  me.  In 
the  house  of  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich  I  would 
surely  find  the  stimulus  and  the  diversion 
I  undoubtedly  need  after  a  severe  day's  work 
in  the  practice  of  my  difficult  profession.  It 
is  always  a  dubious  matter  for  a  bachelor 
to  isolate  himself ;  he  develops  peculiar  ideas 
and  habits,  and  acquires  the  manners  of  a 
social  hermit.  Who,  she'd  like  to  know,  is 
a  certain  Simon  Eichelkatz,  to  whom  I 
devote  all  my  spare  time?  Besides,  it  is 
necessary  for  a  physician  to  marry — in  order 
to  inspire  confidence,  for  the  sake  of  appear- 
ances. I  had  hesitated  too  long;  as  Kreis- 
physikus  I  should  have  had  a  wife  long  ago ; 
172 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


why,  the  very  fact  of  being  Kreisphysikus 
presupposes  an  age  not  exactly  youthful. 

I  reflected  a  moment — she  was  right  for 
three  reasons.  My  thirty-eight  years  actu- 
ally do  make  me  seem  old  to  myself.  In 
fact,  I  am  old;  and  it  now  occurs  to  me  all 
of  a  sudden  that  I  may  have  failed  to  make 
use  of  the  psychological  moment  to  seek 
and  find  my  affinity.  And  if  I  never  marry  ? 
Is  marriage  so  unqualifiedly  desirable?  I 
thought  of  Simon  Eichelkatz.  But  how 
did  my  mother  come  to  hear  of  him?  I 
didn't  recall  having  mentioned  him  in  my 
letters  to  her.  As  for  the  other  points  on 
which  she  touched?  Ah!  A  flash  of  in- 
spiration !  Herr  Jonas  Goldstiicker !  There 
it  stood  black  on  white!  A  very  reliable 
gentleman  had  approached  her  in  a  matter 
referring  to  me,  calling  for  discretion,  etc., 
etc.  Now,  the  merits  of  Fraulein  Edith  Ehr- 
lich  were  known  in  Rawitsch  also.  I  had 
to  laugh;  but  I  determined  at  all  events  to 
173 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


interrogate  my  old  friend  about  the  persons 
in  question. 

I  went  to  him  in  the  evening.  Though 
he  sat  near  the  stove,  with  a  blanket  spread 
over  his  knees,  he  still  seemed  to  suffer  from 
the  cold.  He  also  seemed  tired  and  not  so 
fresh  as  a  few  days  before.  He  responded 
to  my  questioning  look  with : 

"  It's  cold,  Herr  Kreisphysikus ;  a  bad 
time  for  old  people.  Inside  nothing  to 
warm  you;  outside  the  cold!  It  chills  you 
to  the  marrow !  "  He  rubbed  his  hands  and 
drew  the  blanket  up.  Feiwel  Silbermann 
had  stepped  in,  looked  at  him  anxiously 
without  his  noticing  it,  and  then  put  some 
more  coal  in  the  stove. 

"  We  keep  up  good  fires  here  in  Upper 
Silesia,"  said  Simon,  "  but  what's  the  use 
when  you  begin  to  freeze  inside  ?  " 

There  was  a 'touch  of  melancholy  in  his 
voice.  I  laughed  and  said: 

"  Feiwel  will  heat  you  inside,  too." 

Then  I  ordered  hot  tea  and  rum  for  him 

174 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


at  once;  and  a  glass  of  mulled  wine  every 
morning  during  the  cold  weather. 

I  was  well  aware  that  this  prescription 
would  be  of  little  avail;  there  are  no  reme- 
dies to  counteract  such  symptoms  of  old  age. 
But  he  could  be  given  some  relief ;  and  after 
taking  the  warm  drink  he  felt  more  com- 
fortable for  the  moment. 

"  It's  a  remarkable  thing,  Herr  Doktor, 
that  man  grows  into  a  block  of  ice,  when  his 
time  comes.  He  doesn't  die,  but  he  freezes. 
Just  as  outside  in  nature  everything  stiffens 
with  the  frost  when  the  time  comes ;  and  all 
life  dies,  because  the  sun  is  gone,  the  great 
warmth.  What  curdles  in  us,  is  the  warm 
current  of  life,  the  blood.  No  herb  grows 
which  can  prevent  it.  Forgive  me,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus,  for  speaking  to  you  so 
openly.  But  at  my  age  you  don't  make  beans 
about  things  any  more,  and  you  think  all 
sorts  of  thoughts — about  life  and  death. 
And  I've  always  found  you  a  sensible  man, 
to  whom  I  can  say  anything  at  all ;  and  if  I 
175 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


now  say  to  you :  when  the  long  winter  comes 
upon  men,  nothing  will  help  them,  no  doc- 
tor, no  tea,  and  no  mulled  wine,  you  won't 
take  offense,  will  you  ?  " 

"  But  spring  follows  winter,"  I  said  more 
to  quiet  him  than  out  of  conviction.  He 
may  have  felt  this,  because  he  smiled  mourn- 
fully, and  his  faded  features  were  suffused 
with  a  glorified  light — the  light  that  fills 
us  with  the  awe  of  the  infinite  when  we 
stand  in  the  presence  of  the  dead. 

"  What  that  spring  is  which  follows  the 
winter  of  our  lives,  no  man  knows.  I  think 
it  is  an  eternal  winter ;  and  if  a  new  life  does 
blossom  out  of  the  grave,  it  is  a  fresh  be- 
ginning, which  grows  from  itself,  and  does 
not  join  on  to  an  end  without  an  end." 
He  gazed  meditatively  into  space.  "  My 
idea  is,"  he  continued,  "  that  death  is  the 
only  reality  on  earth.  Life  is  only  a  seem- 
ing. Life  changes  at  every  moment  and 
passes,  death  never  changes  and  remains 
forever.  Tell  me,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  if 

176 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


men  grow  old,  they  live  seventy  years  or 
a  little  more,  and  don't  they  stay  dead  a 
million  years?  Have  you  ever  heard  of 
anyone's  living  twice,  or  being  young 
twice  ?  " 

It  is  not  the  first  time  I  am  called  upon  to 
notice  the  profundity  of  the  old  man's 
observations;  but  it  never  fails  to  surprise 
me. 

"  Have  you  never  heard  of  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  Herr  Eichelkatz?  "  I  asked. 

"Soul,  Herr  Doktor?  What  is  soul? 
Where  is  it?  In  what  is  it?  How  does  it 
look?  Does  it  fly  out  of  the  body  when  life 
is  at  an  end?  By  the  window?  By  the 
chimney  ?  Through  the  keyhole  ?  Has  any- 
one ever  seen  it?  Has  someone  ever  felt 
it?  Sometimes  I  read  in  the  paper  about 
spirits  with  whom  chosen  mortals  talk.  Do 
you  believe  it,  Herr  Doktor?  I  don't.  Has 
such  a  thing  ever  been  proved?  They  are 
meshugge  or  else  cheats;  it  always  turns 
out  that  way." 

177 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


I  had  to  laugh  at  the  curt  way  in  which 
he  disposed  of  spiritualism  and  all  its  ex- 
crescences. 

"  Nevertheless,  my  dear  friend,"  I  an- 
swered, "  there  is  probably  a  spiritual  after- 
life which  manifests  itself  in  our  children 
and  grandchildren — a  young  spring  time  of 
life  made  fruitful  by  the  impulses  of  our 
souls." 

He  wrapped  himself  more  tightly  in  his 
cover.  A  slight  shiver  went  through  his 
body. 

"  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  and  how  about 
those  who  have  no  children,  or  those  whose 
children  go  away  from  them,  or  those  who 
do  not  know  their  own  children? — through 
no  fault  of  their  own.  Why  should  they 
be  worse  off  than  the  others?  What  have 
they  done  that  they  should  be  extinguished 
forever,  while  the  others  live  on  forever  ?  I 
don't  believe  it.  For  if  I  did  happen  to  see 
in  the  world  a  great  deal  about  which  I 
had  to  ask  myself  why,  still  I  didn't  see  any- 
178 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


thing  that  had  no  definite  plan  and  no  com- 
pelling cause,  the  good  and  the  bad.  The 
thing  might  not  have  pleased  me,  and  it 
might  have  seemed  bad  or  false,  but  it  had 
a  law  according  to  which  it  had  to  be  car- 
ried out." 

There  he  was  dealing  with  Kantian  ab- 
stractions again;  the  categorical  imperative 
came  to  him  instinctively.  I  did  not  want 
to  tire  him  with  thinking  too  much,  and  I 
said: 

"  By  the  way,  Herr  Eichelkatz,  I  wanted 
to  ask  you  something  that  is  of  personal 
interest  to  me.  Who  is  Herr  Jonas  Gold- 
stiicker?  " 

He  looked  at  me  slyly. 

"  Are  you  trying  to  provide  for  a  spiritual 
after-life,  which  will  manifest  itself  in  your 
children  and  grandchildren?  "  He  repeated 
my  words  with  a  touch  of  irony  in  the  in- 
tonation. "  And  Herr  Jonas  Goldstucker  is 
to  help  you  on  to  immortality  ?  " 

"  We  haven't  reached  that  point  yet,  Herr 
179 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


Eichelkatz,"  I  answered  laughing,  re- 
joiced that  I  had  made  him  think  of  other 
things.  Without  his  noticing  it,  I  turned 
the  conversation  upon  my  colleagues  in  the 
place,  especially  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich. 

"  I  don't  know  the  people  of  to-day  very 
well,  Herr  Kreisphysikus.  Since  I  gave  up 
my  business  I  haven't  bothered  myself  much 
about  them.  The  present  Sanitatsrat  Ehr- 
lich is  the  son  of  the  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich 
who  was  one  of  the  trustees  along  with  Dr. 
Krakauer.  He  studied  at  the  same  time  as 
my  son.  And  when  Ehrlich  had  finished 
his  course,  he  established  himself  here  and 
took  up  his  father's  practice.  He  married 
and  reached  a  position  of  prominence  and 
wealth  in  the  same  place  as  his  father,  who 
has  been  dead  ten  years.  If  that's  what 
you  mean  by  after-life,  Herr  Doktor,  then 
the  old  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich  actually  does  live 
on  in  his  son.  They  say  the  son  uses  the  very 
same  prescriptions  as  his  father.  He's  not 
a  shining  light;  but  he's  a  fine,  respected 
180 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


man.  I  believe  in  time  he  was  made  trustee, 
like  his  father;  and  he  has  children,  sons 
and  daughters,  who  are  a  satisfaction  to 
him.  His  oldest  son  is  also  studying  medi- 
cine, and  will  probably  some  time  take  up 
his  father's  prescriptions  and  his  practice. 
The  old  Sanitatsrat  Ehrlich  was  no  shining 
light,  and  neither  is  his  son,  and  I  don't 
know  the  young  one  at  all — but,  at  any  rate, 
their  light  burns  a  long  time,  like  a  Yom 
Kippur  light,  and  in  the  Khille  it  may  be 
said  of  this  family:  Ehrlich  w'dhrt  am 
Idngsten. 

He  smiled,  and  was  pleased  at  his  own 
little  joke,  and  I  for  my  part  was  glad  to 
have  left  him  in  a  better  mood  than  I  had 
found  him. 

NOVEMBER  18. 

My  old  friend  grows  perceptibly  weaker. 

There  are  no  symptoms  of  a  definite  trouble 

but  scnectus  morbus  ipsa.     The  nasty  cold 

penetrates  the  chinks  at  door  and  window 

181 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


and  settles  in  some  corner  of  the  room, 
however  carefully  warmed  and  provided 
against  weather.  The  very  time  of  year 
prepares  mischief  for  an  old,  decaying  body. 
If  Simon  were  sitting  in  some  sunny  spot, 
who  knows  if  his  seventy-eight  years  would 
be  oppressing  him  so?  What  remarkable 
old  people  I  saw  in  the  south,  especially  in 
Rome.  They  bore  their  eighty  or  ninety 
years  with  proud  dignity  and  fine  carriage. 
We  of  the  north  age  much  more  rapidly; 
perhaps  we  are  not  even  born  young.  Es- 
pecially we  Jews !  Conditions  have  been 
bettered  in  the  course  of  time,  since  our 
young  people  have  been  allowed  to  benefit  by 
the  sanitary,  hygienic,  and  aesthetic  achieve- 
ments of  modern  life.  They  all  devote 
themselves  to  sports,  and  the  obligation  to 
serve  in  the  army  has  forced  them — and 
the  need  therefor  is  highly  significant — to 
practice  gymnastic  exercises  to  their  ad- 
vantage. Nevertheless  they  have  some- 
thing old,  thoughtful,  worldly-wise  in 

182 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


their  souls.  It  is  the  heritage  of  the  many 
thousands  of  years  of  culture,  the  culture 
which  has  won  us  renown  and  singled  us  out 
among  the  nations,  but  has  burdened  us 
also  and  weighted  us  down  with  the  over- 
thoughtfulness  born  of  limitless  life-exper- 
ience. Naivete  and  an  easy  mode  of  exist- 
ence we  have  lost  through  this  heritage; 
and  that  it  manifests  itself  especially  in 
spiritual  matters  is  praiseworthy,  though 
neither  gratifying  nor  exhilarating.  How 
difficult  we  are!  How  dependent  upon  tra- 
dition! What  deep  roots  we  have  struck 
in  the  soil  of  the  past!  I  believe  we  drag 
the  chains  of  our  long  history  more  pain- 
fully than  those  put  upon  us  by  the  other 
nations.  And  though  these  chains  are 
wrought  of  the  gold  of  fidelity  and  linked 
with  the  pearls  of  wisdom,  they  weight  us 
down — they  weight  us  down  in  a  world 
where  we  are  only  tolerated — strangers ! 

Simon       Eichelkatz       awakened      these 
thoughts  in  me.     Yesterday  he  told  me  a 
183 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


great  deal  again.  Remarkable!  It  is  as 
though  he  felt  the  need  to  unburden  his  soul 
of  a  few  more  matters  before  he  sinks  into 
the  great,  eternal  silence.  But  he  doesn't 
suspect  my  anxiety  in  his  behalf.  He  chats 
on  heedlessly  into  the  twilight  of  the  early 
winter  evenings.  The  twilight  makes  peo- 
ple communicative  and  confidential.  It  is 
the  time  of  intimate  secrets.  And  at  such 
a  time  Simon  acquainted  me  with  the  most 
solemn  experience  of  his  life. 

"  I  do  not  know,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  how 
to  tell  you — when  I  found  it  out,  I  felt 
a  pain  as  though  a  piece  of  my  body  were 
being  torn  away.  It  hurt!  My,  how  it 
hurt !  I  cried  aloud !  I  made  a  rent  in  my 
coat;  I  threw  myself  on  the  ground,  and 
I  sat  Shiveh.  My  son  was  dead,  my  only 
child !  Madame  Eichelkatz  said  nothing. 
She  remained  immovable.  Not  a  sound 
passed  her  lips;  and  to  this  day  I  do  not 
know  what  she  thought  or  felt  when  the 
news  came  that  our  only  child  had  been — 
184 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


baptized!  He  had  had  himself  baptized, 
Herr  Kreisphysikusleben.  Converted !  Step- 
ped from  one  religion  into  another  as 
lightly  as  though  stepping  from  the  middle 
of  the  street  over  the  gutter  onto  the  pave- 
ment! From  the  painful,  dusty  road  to  the 
elegant,  smoothly-paved  street! 

"  '  What  have  you  to  say  to  this  ? '  I 
screamed  at  my  wife.  But  she  said  nothing. 
And  she  raised  no  objections  when  after 
the  Shiveh  I  declared  my  intention  of  giving 
up  the  business,  because,  not  having  a  child 
any  more,  I  did  not  know  for  whom  to  work. 
She  quietly  let  me  do  whatever  I  decided  on 
in  my  pain  and  anger.  She  seemed  entirely 
broken.  But  no  one  learned  whether  from 
surprise,  grief,  or  repentance.  She  faded 
away,  and  two  years  after  the  terrible  event 
she  died  from  no  special  sickness.  '  As  a  pun- 
ishment,' the  people  said,  '  of  a  broken 
heart ' — who  knows  what  goes  on  in  the 
soul  of  such  a  woman! 

"  I  did  not  know.     And  that's  where  I 

186 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


was  wrong  in  the  matter.  I  know  it  now. 
And  it's  a  pity,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  that 
you  never  know  at  the  right  time.  You  are 
never  clever,  you  never  understand,  you 
never  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time. 
It  always  comes  when  it's  too  late." 

He  paused  in  his  confidences,  somewhat 
hastily  uttered,  and  looked  gloomily  into 
space.  Then,  as  though  he  had  suddenly 
gathered  together  his  inner  forces,  he  added : 

"  And  yet,  when  I  think  it  over  carefully, 
it's  probably  not  such  a  pity.  It  must  be 
so  and  can't  be  different,  because  to  err 
is  human.  And  it's  only  by  way  of  error 
that  you  arrive  at  knowledge.  In  man  error 
is  life.  When  he  knows  everything,  more 
than  he  likes  to  know,  then  comes  death." 

Error  is  life,  and  knowledge  is  death! 
The  soul  of  this  old  man  comprehends  every- 
thing. Philosophers  and  poets — he  never 
read  a  line  of  their  works,  scarcely  a  name 
of  theirs  reaches  his  ear,  and  yet  their  finest 
thoughts  are  crystallized  in  his  observations. 

186 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


And  again,  for  after  a  little  pause  he  said: 
"  Death,  what  is  it,  Herr  Kreisphysikus  ? 
Something  else  that  no  one  knows,  surely 
doesn't  know — forgive  me,  Herr  Kreisphy- 
sikus, you,  too — although  you've  studied 
about  life  and  death — and  you're  a  fine, 
learned  man,  a  serious,  learned  man — I 
know,  I  know.  If  anyone  could  have  learned 
about  death  you  certainly  would  have — but 
can  one  learn  the  eternal  riddles  of  nature? 
Who  knows  her  secrets?  The  greatest 
learning  can't  penetrate  to  them.  Do  me  a 
favor,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  if  there  is  any- 
one who  knows,  tell  me;  I'd  be  happy  to 
learn  one  more  thing,  before  I  lay  myself 
down  and  become  a  dead  man,  as  now  I  am  a 
live  man." 

A  startling  thought  flashed  through  my 
mind;  but  before  I  could  answer  him,  he 
said,  almost  hastily: 

"  I  knew  it,  Herr  Kreisphysikus ;  you 
can't  tell  me.  Why?  Because  there's  not 
a  soul  who  could  have  discovered  it — no- 

187 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


body  knows  what — we  don't  know  any- 
thing." 

Ignorabimus! 

Ay,  there's  the  rub.  The  thought  has 
given  pause  to  many  another  besides  Simon 
Eichelkatz ! 

But  now  I  was  determined  to  give  expres- 
sion to  the  thought  which  a  moment  before 
had  flashed  through  my  mind. 

"  That's  not  so  easily  disposed  of  as  you 
think,  Herr  Eichelkatz.  We  know  as  little 
as  you  say,  and  yet  we  know  so  much! 
When  the  inscrutable  fails  to  yield  us  any- 
thing positive,  when  the  exact  sciences  can 
tell  us  no  more,  then  comes  the  work  of  hy- 
pothesis, of  thought." 

He  looked  at  me  with  great,  astonished 
eyes.  A  light  of  comprehension  spread  over 
his  face,  although  he  softly  said : 

"  That's  too  much  for  me,  Herr  Kreisphy- 

sikus,   what  you   are   saying — I  mean   the 

way  you  say  it — I  think  I  can  understand 

your  meaning ;  and  as  for  the  exact  sciences, 

188 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


I  can  imagine  what  that  means,  I  have  heard 
the  words  before.  But  the  other  word, 
poth — pothe — it  can't  come  from  apothe- 
cary? What  you  mean  is  that  when  we 
don't  know  about  something,  others  come 
and  try  to  explain  it  from  what  they  have 
thought  over  the  matter  for  themselves." 

"  That  is  called  philosophy,"  I  said. 

"  I  know  the  word,"  he  murmured  under 
his  breath. 

"  And  the  greatest  minds  of  all  times 
have  occupied  themselves  with  it." 

"  And  has  anything  ever  come  of  it?  "  he 
said,  an  ironical  smile  flitting  about  the 
corners  of  his  sunken  mouth. 

"  Why,  yes !  For  if  thinking,  interpret- 
ing, and  reasoning  did  not  make  the  things  of 
this  earth  clear  to  us  and  throw  a  moral 
light  upon  them,  there  would  be  only  one 
course  left  to  us;  we  should  be  driven  to 
desperation." 

He  was  obviously  trying  to  adjust  the 
189 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


meaning  of  my  words  in  his  mind,  for  it 
was  after  a  few  minutes'  pause  that  he  said : 
"  And  you  really  believe,  Herr  Kreisphy- 
sikus,  that  it  is  of  some  use  ?  Well,  I  won't 
argue  with  you,  because  I  don't  under- 
stand— but  that  we  should  accomplish  any- 
thing for  the  general  good  through  moral- 
ity, I  mean,  the  same  sort  of  morality  for 
many  or  for  all — that — that  seems  unlikely 
to  rne.  I've  always  found  that  each  man 
has  his  own  morality,  just  as  every  Jew  has 
his  own  Shulchan  Oruch.  And  there  is 
nothing  too  bad  or  too  wicked  for  one  man 
to  do  to  another  but  that  he  can  excuse  it 
as  being  moral.  I've  experienced  it,  Herr 
Kreisphysikus — I  " — he  paused  an  instant — 
"  yes,  and  why  shouldn't  I  tell  you  ?  At  the 
time  when  my  only  child  forsook  the  faith  of 
his  fathers,  he  wrote  me  a  letter,  yes — and 
he  explained  the  necessity  for  his  taking  the 
step,  and  in  the  finest  words  and  thoughts 
told  me  how  it  is  the  highest  morality  to  be 
true  to  yourself — not  to  what  has  been  hand- 
190 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


ed  down  to  you  by  others — and  how  each 
must  find  in  himself  the  moral  laws  of  the 
world — and  how  each  must  free  himself  in 
order  to  strive  unhampered  toward  the 
light.  No  one  should  abide  by  what  others 
have  offered  him,  for  to  take  is — mercy! 
And  the  strong  man  must  not  kill  himself 
out  of  compassion  and  mercy.  But  my  son 
said  of  himself,  he  was  strong,  and  for  that 
reason,  he  said,  he  must  go  his  own  way 
pitilessly,  and  I  should  forgive  him  the 
pain  he  caused  me — he  was  not  one  of  those 
who  quietly  gives  a  little  of  himself  here 
and  a  little  there,  as  is  the  custom  in  narrow 
circles;  he  was  one  of  the  few — one  of  the 
magnificently  wealthy — a  great  giver  who 
gives  himself  to  mankind !  " 

His  voice  had  risen  as  he  conveyed  the 
contents  of  the  letter  to  me;  but  then,  as 
though  tired  out,  he  added: 

"  I  know  every  word  by  heart.  I  read 
the  letter  a  thousand  times;  and,  do  you 
191 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


know,  Herr  Kreisphysikus,  so  that  I'd  be 
sure  to  understand  it  and  read  it  perfectly, 
he  wrote  it  in  Hebrew  letters." 

He  drew  the  Bible  that  always  lay  on 
the  table  closer  to  himself,  took  out  a  piece 
of  paper  showing  signs  of  much  handling, 
and  gave  it  to  me.  It  was  the  letter. 

The  depths  of  my  soul  were  stirred. 

"  What  could  I  do,  nebbich,  Herr  Kreis- 
physikus? This  letter  was  the  only  thing 
I'd  ever  read  of  philosophy.  Then — yes, 
after  getting  it,  I  sat  Shiveh!  Because  I 
learned  from  the  letter :  *  Be  true  to  your- 
self/ And  I  was  true  to  myself  in  being 
true  to  my  religion.  '  And  each  must  find 
in  himself  the  moral  laws  of  the  world/ — 
and  the  moral  law  of  my  world  is  to  hold 
sacred  what  the  God  of  Israel  has  com- 
manded. But  I  hid  my  sorrow  in  my  soul, 
and  I  never  again  reproached  Madame 
Eichelkatz  with  having  led  him  into  error 
through  her  education.  What  could  a 

192 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


frivolous  Madame  Eichelkatz  do,  and  how 
could  she  hinder  a  man  who  '  gives  him- 
self to  mankind,'  nebbich  ? 

"  She  never  saw  him  again,  nor  did  he 
stand  at  her  grave;  because  I  got  the  rabbi 
to  write  to  him  he  should  not  come.  He 
answered  with  only  two  lines." 

Simon  reached  out  again  for  the  book, 
took  a  slip  of  paper  out,  set  his  horn-rimmed 
spectacles  on  his  nose,  and  read : 

"  '  Weep  not,  my  father !  Is  not  all  weep- 
ing a  lament  ?  And  all  lamenting  an  accusa- 
tion ?  Accuse  not  my  mother  in  her  grave — 
accuse  not  me.  Your  soul  will  be  healed; 
for  yours  is  not  a  petty  grief.' 

"  That  wa"s  the  last  I  heard  from  him. 
Not  a  tear  was  shed  at  Madame  Eichelkatz's 
grave.  Then  I  settled  down  here  with 
Feiwel  Silbermann.  I  had  enough  to  live 
on,  more  than  enough,  and  I  began  to  pon- 
der over  mankind  and  things  in  general. 
I've  grown  old,  and  I  am  a  stranger  to 
193 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


people.  Rabbi  Dr.  Merzbach  has  been  dead 
a  long  time,  and  Cantor  Elias,  and  Meyer 
Nathanson  the  Shammes,  and  Saul  Feuer- 
stein,  the  professional  bankrupt,  and  Dr. 
Krakauer,  saving  your  reverence,  and  all 
the  others.  The  new  generation  scarcely 
knows  me." 

The  last  words  were  uttered  brokenly, 
his  head  sank  softly  forward.  He  had  drop- 
ped off  to  sleep  from  sheer  exhaustion. 
After  a  few  minutes  he  came  to  himself,  and 
Feiwel  Silbermann  carried  him  to  bed  while 
I  stood  there.  We  administered  some 
bouillon  and  Tokay  wine;  but  he  remained 
apathetic,  and  only  murmured,  almost  unin- 
telligibly :  "  Yes — times  change — the  Khille 
is  no  longer  fromm."  Then  he  fell  asleep 
again. 

I  was  greatly  disturbed  on  leaving  him, 
and  returned  the  next  morning  at  the  very 
earliest  hour  possible.  He  was  asleep.  Two 
days  later  he  had  passed  into  the  eternal 
sleep  of  death. 

194 


SIMON  EICHELKATZ 


NOVEMBER  23. 

To-day  we  carried  Simon  Eichelkatz  to 
his  last  resting-place.  Only  a  few  people 
accompanied  him.  But  at  his  grave  stood 
a  solitary  man. 

"  Myself  I  sacrifice  to  my  love,  and  my 
neighbor  I  sacrifice  as  myself,  thus  runs  the 
speech  of  all  creators." 

The  Nietzsche  phrase  flitted  through 
my  mind,  a  phrase  that  I  had  heard  ex- 
plained by  the  son,  the  heir  of  that  un- 
learned, wise  old  man  whom  we  had  just 
consigned  to  the  earth.  "  But  all  creators 
are  hard — thus  spoke  Zarathustra." 

And  there — 

In  a  soft  though  intelligible  voice  the 
solitary  man  repeated  the  Hebrew  words, 
as  he  shovelled  the  earth  onto  the  cofHn: 

"  Dust  thou  art,  to  dust  returnest ;  but  the 
spirit  returns  to  God  who  gave  it." 

Then  he  raised  himself  up,  his  eye  fas- 
tened on  the  growing  mound. 

Friedrich  Eichner! 

195 


THE  PATRIARCH 


THE  PATRIARCH 

Joshua  Benas,  Geheimrat,  arose  from  his 
seat  at  his  desk.  His  smug  countenance 
wore  a  smile  of  satisfaction,  as  he  gazed 
thoughtfully  into  vacancy,  and  stroked  the 
close-trimmed  beard,  already  touched  with 
grey. 

"  Very  good,"  he  muttered,  with  a  com- 
placent smile,  "  first-rate.  Elkish  has  put 
the  matter  well.  A  la  bonheur!  We  will 
declare  fourteen  per  cent  dividend;  if  we 
strain  a  point,  perhaps  fourteen  and  a  half — 
and  enough  for  a  surplus.  Great!  Splen- 
did! ....  What  a  figure  we  shall  cut! 
No  small  affair!  The  gentlemen  will  be 
astonished.  But  after  all  that  is  what  they're 
used  to;  Joshua  Benas  doesn't  fall  short  of 
what  people  expect  of  him." 

He  pressed  the  electric  button. 

"  Tell  Mr.  Elkish  to  come  up  when  he 

199 


THE  PATRIARCH 


leaves  the  office,"  he  said  to  the  servant  who 
had  entered  quietly;  then  he  glanced  at  the 
clock  standing  on  his  desk,  a  Mercury  of 
light-colored  Barbedienne  bronze. 

"  Five  o'clock  already !  Tell  Elkish  to 
be  here  by  half-past  five." 

The  servant  bowed ;  as  he  was  leaving  the 
room,  his  master  called  after  him : 

"  Is  my  son  at  home  ?  " 

"No,  Herr  Geheimrat." 

"  And  my  daughter?  " 

"  She  and  Mile.  Tallieu  drove  to  Profes- 
sor Jedlitzka's  for  her  music  lesson." 

"  Hm !  Very  well !  Be  sure  to  give  my 
message  to  Mr.  Elkish,  Francis." 

At  this  moment  an  elderly  lady  of  dis- 
tinguished appearance  entered  the  room. 

"Do  I  disturb  you,  Joe?" 

He  dismissed  the  servant  with  a  nod. 

"  No,  Fanny,  if  a  half-hour  will  suffice ; 
in  half  an  hour  I  expect  Elkish.  At  half- 
past  five,  Francis." 

The  servant  withdrew  as  quietly  as  he 

200 


THE  PATRIARCH 


had  entered,  and  husband  and  wife  were  left 
alone. 

With  the  eye  of  the  careful  housewife 
she  glanced  about  the  room.  The  luxury  of 
her  surroundings  had  not  diminished  the 
traditional  concern  for  minute  details  of 
housekeeping.  From  her  mother  she  had 
acquired  her  loving  devotion  to  the  affairs 
of  the  house.  She  guarded  its  growing 
prosperity,  and  with  a  keen  eye,  as  well  as 
a  careful  hand,  she  treasured  the  beautiful 
and  choice  possessions  with  which  a  fond- 
ness for  collecting  and  a  feeling  for  art 
had  enriched  her  home.  Her  large  corps  of 
servants  was  capable  and  well-trained;  yet 
Mrs.  Benas  would  delegate  to  none  the 
supervision  of  her  household  and  the  in- 
spection of  its  details. 

Her  appearance  did  not  betray  her  habits. 
She  was  forty-nine  years  old ;  her  dark  hair, 
with  a  touch  of  grey,  was  becomingly  ar- 
ranged over  a  rather  high  forehead.  Her 
generous  mouth,  showing  well-preserved 
201 


THE  PATRIARCH 


teeth,  and  her  full  double  chin  gave  her 
countenance  a  look  of  energy,  softened  by 
the  mild  and  intelligent  expression  of  her 
eyes.  The  slight  curve  of  her  nose  was 
sufficient  to  impart  to  her  countenance  the 
unmistakable  stamp  of  her  race.  But  it  did 
not  detract  from  the  air  of  distinction  that 
characterized  Frau  Geheimrat  Benas. 

The  rapid  survey  satisfied  her  that  every- 
thing was  in  the  best  of  order  in  the  lux- 
uriously equipped  workroom  of  her  husband. 
Not  a  particle  of  dust  rested  upon  the  costly 
bronzes,  standing  about  on  desk  and  mantel, 
on  tables  and  stands,  with  designed  care- 
lessness. Not  too  obtrusively,  and  yet 
effectively,  they  revealed  the  Geheimrat  as 
a  patron  of  the  arts,  able  to  surround  him- 
self with  the  choicest  works  of  the  most 
distinguished  artists. 

Glorious  old  Flemish  tapestries  hung 
above  the  sofa,  forming  the  background  for 
book-cases  rilled  with  the  classics  of  all 
literatures,  and  for  various  ob/ets  d'art, 

202 


THE  PATRIARCH 


which  a  discerning  taste  had  collected.  Mrs. 
Benas's  glance  rested  with  particular  tender- 
ness upon  a  few  antique  pieces  of  silver, 
which  seemed  a  curious  anachronism  in  a 
room  furnished  in  its  up-to-date  style.  They 
were  heirlooms  from  her  parents'  home  in 
Rogasen,  where  her  father,  Samuel  Fried- 
heim — Reb  Salme  Friedheim  as  he  was 
called — had  been  held  in  high  regard. 
There  was  the  Kiddush  cup,  the  Besomim 
box,  the  Menorah,  and  the  large  silver 
Seder  platter,  used  by  her  father ;  and  there 
were  the  silver  candelabra,  the  lights  of 
which  her  mother  had  "  blessed ".  Her 
father  had  been  a  thrifty  dealer  in  wools, 
not  too  greatly  blessed  with  worldly  goods; 
a  great  Talmudic  scholar  he  had  been,  how- 
ever, worthy  to  marry  the  great-grand- 
daughter '  of  the  celebrated  Rabbi  Akiba 
Friedlander,  under  whom  he  had  studied. 

Mrs.  Benas's  demeanor  unconsciously  re- 
flected the  dignity  of  such  ancestry.  She 
took  it  as  a  matter  of  course  that  her  lot  in 

203 


THE  PATRIARCH 


life  should  have  been  cast  in  the  high  finan- 
cial circles,  the  sphere  which  gives  import- 
ance and  position  to  the  modern  Jew.  The 
son-in-law  of  Reb  Salme  Friedheim  could 
not  be  other  than  a  Geheimrat,  unless,  con- 
tinuing the  traditions,  he  had  been  a  student 
of  the  Talmud.  But,  after  all,  nowadays  a 
Geheimrat  is  to  be  preferred  to  a  Jewish 
scholar  or  to  a  modern  rabbi;  and  with 
pride  becoming  to  her  and  no  offense  to  her 
husband  she  gloried  in  the  aristocracy  of 
her  family,  without  overlooking  the  advan- 
tages her  husband's  wealth  had  brought. 

The  home  of  her  husband  had  also  been 
in  the  province  of  Posen;  and  it  was  the 
respect  in  which  her  father  had  been  held 
throughout  the  province  that  had  attracted 
his  father,  Isidor  Benas  of  Lissa,  to  the 
match.  Although  the  dowry  was  smaller 
than  Benas  senior  thought  he  was  entitled 
to  demand  for  his  son,  the  rank  of  her 
family  weighed  so  heavily  in  the  balance 
204 


THE  PATRIARCH 


that  Joshua  was  allowed  to  court  Fanny 
and  win  her  as  his  life  companion. 

His  father  died  shortly  after  the  mar- 
riage. Joshua  moved  the  banking  and  grain 
business,  in  which  he  had  been  a  partner,  to 
Berlin.  Here  the  business  prospered  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  firm  of  Joshua  Benas 
was  soon  reckoned  among  the  most  influen- 
tial of  the  rapidly  developing  capital.  In- 
deed, it  headed  all  financial  and  industrial 
undertakings.  Joshua  Benas,  prominent  in 
the  establishment  of  a  large  bank,  member 
of  the  boards  of  the  principal  industrial  cor- 
porations, was  appointed  Kommerzienrat  at 
the  end  of  the  "  seventies  ",  and  a  few  years 
later,  in  recognition  of  special  services  to 
the  Government  in  the  supply  of  arms,  he 
was  made  Geheimrat.  At  the  time  there 
were  rumors  of  a  high  order,  which  were 
never  made  true;  and  Mrs.  Benas  gave  up 
the  hope  she  had  probably  cherished  in 
secret,  for  the  growth  of  anti-Semitism  set 
a  short  limit  to  the  honors  conferred  on 
205 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Jews,  and  rendered  the  dignity  of  a 
Geheimer  Kommerzienrat  the  highest  to 
which  they  dared  aspire. 

"  Credit  to  whom  credit  is  due,"  a  dis- 
tinguished professor  had  equivocally  re- 
marked in  her  drawing-room  some  years 
before,  in  reference  to  the  appointment  of 
a  banker  distinguished  for  nothing  but  his 
wealth  as  Geheimer  Kommerzienrat.  The 
words  ever  echoed  in  her  ears.  Since  then 
the  lesson  to  remain  modestly  in  the  back- 
ground and  be  content  with  the  achievements 
of  better  times  had  been  well  learned.  In 
the  meantime,  Benas's  income  had  continued 
to  increase;  his  home  grew  in  splendor  and 
artistic  attractiveness,  and  while  his  wife 
watched  over  the  comfort  of  her  establish- 
ment and  the  carefully  planned  education  of 
the  children,  she  kept  pride  of  ancestry  alive 
in  the  secret  recesses  of  her  soul.  The  more 
she  felt  herself  cut  off  from  intercourse 
with  those  of  her  own  station  in  life — the 
social  circle  of  the  elect — the  more  she  cher- 
20fi 


THE  PATRIARCH 


ished  the  consciousness  of  her  noble  descent. 
The  feeling  that  had  been  sacred  merely  as 
a  tradition  in  the  years  of  social  advance, 
developed  in  the  present  days  of  social  iso- 
lation— half  voluntary  and  half  enforced — 
into  something  more  intimate  and  personal. 
She  spoke  but  seldom  of  this ;  all  the  deeper 
and  keener  was  the  hurt  to  her  pride. 

To-day,  however,  these  questions  had 
presented  themselves  with  more  insistence 
than  usually.  She  had  received  a  letter 
that  had  led  her  to  seek  her  husband  at 
this  unwonted  hour. 

As  she  entered  the  room  a  nervous  tension 
was  apparent  in  her  features,  and,  turning 
to  him  hastily,  after  the  servant  left,  she 
said :  "  I  must  speak  with  you,  Joshua,  about 
a  matter  of  great  importance." 

"  Goodness !  What's  the  matter,  Fanny  ? 
At  such  an  unusual  time,  and  so  excited.  I 
hope  nothing  has  occurred.  Is  it  a  letter 
from  your  sister  or  .  ..." 

During  this  rapid-fire  interrogation  she 
207 


THE  PATRIARCH 


had  approached  the  desk  and  sunk  into  an 
arm-chair. 

"  Please,  Benas,  not  so  many  questions 
at  once.  I  came  here  to  tell  you  all  about 
it,  and  I  myself  hardly  know  whether  this 
letter  is  pleasant  or  unpleasant.  It's  not 
from  my  sister,  in  fact,  from  somebody  very 
different." 

"  Well,  from  whom  ?  You  make  me  cur- 
ious. How  should  I  guess  from  whom?  " 

"  I  shall  tell  you  immediately,  but  please 
sit  down  quietly  next  to  me;  for  we  must 
decide  upon  the  answer." 

He  glanced  at  the  clock :  "  I  ordered 
Elkish  to  come  at  half-past  five." 

"  Elkish  can  wait." 

"  Indeed  not !  I  must  consult  him  about 
to-morrow's  committee  meeting  of  the 
Magdeburg  Machine  Construction  Com- 
pany." 

"  Now,  Benas,"  she  interrupted,  "  there 
are  weightier  matters  than  the  Magdeburg 
Machine  Construction  .  .  .  ." 

208 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  You  say  that  so  lightly,  Fanny  ....  I 
cannot  understand  how  a  woman  as  clever 
as  you  are  can  say  such  things.  The  '  Mag- 
deburgs '  not  important !  a  small  matter ! 
When  the  balance-sheet  is  published  to-mor- 
row, and  the  dividends  declared,  they  will 
rise  in  value  at  least  fifteen  points ;  and  that, 
you  say,  is  of  no  importance!  I  must  still 
give  my  orders  about  buying  and  selling ;  for 
at  the  close  of  the  exchange,  they  will  natu- 
rally fall,  but  the  day  after,  then — I  tell 
you,  Fanny,  it  will  be  a  big  thing!  " 

"  That's  all  very  good  and  nice.  Money, 
sadly  enough,  is  the  only  power  we  have 
nowadays ;  but  sometimes  other  things  affect 
the  course  of  events,  as,  for  instance,  this 
letter." 

"  Well,  what  of  it  ?  Elkish  may  come  at 
any  moment." 

She  opened  the  letter  while  he  turned  on 
the  electric  light  of  his  reading  lamp,  whose 
green  silk  shade  spread  a  soft,  subdued  light 
over  the  room. 

209 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Regierungsrat  Dr.  Victor  Weilen  begs 
permission  to  pay  his  respects  this  evening 
at  nine  o'clock.  He  apologizes  for  setting 
so  late  an  hour,  but  explains  that  his  duties 
keep  him  occupied  until  late  in  the  day ;  and 
inasmuch  as  the  matter  which  he  wishes  to 
discuss  is  a  family  affair,  he  hopes  we  shall 
receive  him." 

"  A  family  affair  ?  He !  What  does  he 
want  of  the  family?  and  so  unexpectedly! 
That's  really  curious.  A  family  affair !  " 

"  He  begs,  as  the  time  is  so  short,  that 
an  answer  be  sent  to  him  by  telephone,  to 
the  Foreign  Office,  where  he  will  wait  until 
eight  o'clock." 

"  Gracious,  how  swell !  The  Foreign  Of- 
fice! And  thus  do  we  attain  to  the  honor 
of  telephoning  to  the  Foreign  Office,"  he 
added  satirically. 

"  What  shall  the  answer  be,  Joshua  ?  that 
we  are  at  home  ?  " 

"  Surely,  if  you  wish  to  receive  him.  I 
cannot  understand  your  excitement,  dearest. 

210 


THE  PATRIARCH 


You  have  received  a  Regierungsrat  in  your 
drawing-rooms  before  this,  even  an  Oberre- 
gierungsrat.  There  was  a  time  when  Mr. 
Breitbach  found  our  Moet  rather  fair.  .  .  ." 

"  There  was  a  time,  Benas !  " 

He  frowned.  "  Well,  that's  something 
that  cannot  be  altered,  dear  child." 

At  this  moment  his  confidential  clerk, 
Elkish,  was  announced. 

"  Even  though  the  '  Magdeburgs  '  rise 
ever  so  high,"  she  answered  ironically. 

"  But  that  need  not  hinder  you  from  re- 
ceiving the  Regierungsrat.  We're  still  good 
for  something,  I  suppose.  What  think  you, 
Elkish  ?  "  he  called  to  him  as  he  entered. 

"  I  do  not  know  to  what  you  refer." 

"  Well,  what  else  can  I  refer  to  but  our 
balance-sheet  ?  " 

"  As  regards  that,  the  firm  of  Joshua 
Benas  has  no  need  to  hide  its  head,"  the  old 
clerk  responded  proudly. 

"  Well,  do  you  see,  dear  child?  "  he  said 
to  his  wife.  "  Do  as  you  think  best,  I  rely 
211 


THE  PATRIARCH 


upon  your  judgment.  You  always  do  the 
right  thing." 

She  rose.  "  I  will  not  interrupt  you  any 
longer." 

"  I  should  like  to  finish  this  matter  before 
dinner.  There  is  not  much  time  left." 

"  Then  I  shall  have  Francis  telephone  that 
we  are  at  home,  and  we  expect  him."  She 
waited  at  the  door. 

"  Yes,  that's  all  right,"  he  answered,  al- 
ready absorbed  in  the  papers  his  clerk  had 
spread  before  him. 

"Good-by,  Benas!  Good-by,  Mr.  Elk- 
ish." 

"  Good-by,  my  child,"  he  called  to  her 
as  she  was  leaving. 

"  This  only  awaits  your  signature,  Mr. 
Benas.  Here.  A  dividend  of  fourteen  per 
cent  and  a  half." 

"  Really,  Elkish  ?     I'm  delighted !  " 

"  Yes,  and  here,  240,000  mark  in  the  sink- 
ing fund,  then  516,000  mark  for  surplus." 

"  Excellent !  Splendid !  "  He  put  on  his 
212 


THE  PATRIARCH 


eyeglasses  and  signed  the  various  papers 
placed  before  him. 

"  And  who  do  you  think  will  be  elected 
to  the  board  this  year?  " 

"  I  thought  Glikksmann  and  Ettinger." 

"  The  time  for  the  Breitbachs  and  Knese- 
becks  is  past.  .  .  .  Well,  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  both  of  them  may  count  upon  my 
vote." 

"  Mr.  Breitbach  has  not  been  here  for  an 
age,"  remarked  Elkish  with  a  shrewd  look. 

"Well!  To  offset  that,  Herr  Regier- 
ungsrat  Dr.  Weilen  wishes  to  visit  us  to- 
day— a  cousin  of  my  wife." 

"  He  ?  "  The  eyes  of  the  old  clerk  flamed 
suddenly  with  burning  hatred.  "  He  is  bap- 
tized, Herr  Geheimrat.  A  grandson  of 
Rabbi  Eliezer,  ....  the  first  in  the  fam- 
ily." 

"  That  is  not  so  certain,"  murmured  the 
Kommerzienrat  under  his  breath. 

"  And  merely  to  further  his  prospects ! 
A  grandson  of  Rabbi  Eliezer !  "  Unbound- 

213 


THE  PATRIARCH 


ed  contempt  was  expressed  by  the  tone  of  the 
faithful  clerk,  for  many  years  the  confidant 
of  his  chief,  whom  he  had  accompanied  from 
their  former  home  to  Berlin. 

"  How  does  the  cat  get  across  the  stream, 
Elkish?  As  a  Jew  he  would  have  had  no 
future,  even  if  he  were  a  direct  descendant 
of  King  David." 

"  And  is  a  career  everything?  " 

"  One  is  ambitious,  and  one  must — why 
not  succeed  ?  " 

"  How  about  the  honorable  Geheimrat 
himself?  Haven't  you  succeeded?  If  one 
is  able  to  declare  a  dividend  of  fourteen  and 
a  half  per  cent,  isn't  that  success?  And  if 
one  owns  a  villa  in  the  Tiergartenstrasse, 
isn't  that  what  you  call  success?  And  if 
one's  son  serves  with  the  Dragoons  of  the 
Guard?  And  Miss  Rita  studies  music  with 
Jedlitzka,  and  literature  with  Erich 
Schmidt?  She  told  me  so  yesterday.  Isn't 
all  that  success?  I  tell  you,  Herr  Kommer- 
zienrat,  that  is  success  enough.  Who  buys 
214 


THE  PATRIARCH 


pictures  of  Menzel,  and  busts  of  Begas, 
who,  indeed?  Krupp  and  Joshua  Benas  of 
Lissa.  That's  what  /  call  success."  The 
longer  he  spoke,  the  more  intense  his  en- 
thusiasm, and  unconsciously  he  lapsed  into 
the  Jewish  intonation,  which  ordinarily  did 
not  characterize  his  speech. 

"  Not  every  one  can  get  to  be  a  Kommer- 
zienrat,  Elkish.  Earning  money  is  unques- 
tionably a  very  nice  thing,  but  there  are 
idealists  who  seek  advancement  in  other 
ways." 

"  Idealists !  Fine  idealists,  who  sell  their 
religion  as  Dr.  Weilen  has  done.  The  whole 
Duchy  of  Posen  was  scandalized !  A  grand- 
son of  Rabbi  Eliezer!  And  what  does  he 
want  of  you  ?  Mrs.  Benas,  I  hope,  will  show 
him  what  she  thinks  of  the  like  of  him.  I'm 
certainly  surprised  that  with  her  views  she 
should  consent  to  receive  him." 

"  He  wishes  to  speak  of  family  affairs." 

"Family  affairs?"  sneered  the  old  man. 
"  Chutzpeh !  Perhaps  he  wants  to  borrow 

215 


THE  PATRIARCH 


money  of  you.  That's  what  usually  makes 
such  people  remember  their  family." 

"  Why,  you're  in  a  fine  mood  to-day, 
Elkish." 

"  My  mood  is  always  spoilt  when  I  think 
of  such  matters,  Mr.  Benas.  After  all  it  is 
really  none  of  my  business.  If  I  had  had  the 
Zechus  to  belong  to  the  family  of  Rabbi 
Akiba  Friedlander,  I  should  not  have  allow- 
ed such  a  person  to  cross  my  threshold." 

"  Calm  yourself,  Elkish." 

"  Why  should  I  calm  myself  ?  I  am  not 
at  all  excited.  It  does  not  concern  me.  You 
must  consider  what  you  are  doing;  and  the 
main  thing  after  all  is  that  to-morrow  we 
declare  fourteen  and  a  half  per  cent." 

"  Yes,  Elkish,  after  all,  that  is  the  main 
thing." 


At  precisely  nine  o'clock  the  servant 
brought  in  the  card  of  Regierungsrat  Dr. 
Victor  Weilen. 

216 


THE  PATRIARCH 


As  was  their  custom  in  the  evening 
when  at  home  to  a  small  circle,  the  family 
was  assembled  in  the  little  round  sitting- 
room.  The  Geheimrat  was  seated  in  an 
American  rocking-chair,  near  a  revolving 
book-case,  in  which  the  evening  papers  were 
carefully  arranged  on  their  racks.  He  was 
smoking  a  "  Henry  Clay,"  and  was  busily 
engaged  in  studying  the  stock  quotations  in 
the  "  National  ". 

The  tea-table,  at  which  Mrs.  Benas  sat, 
with  its  fine  silver  service,  its  costly  em- 
broidered silk  table  cover,  and  with  cakes 
and  fruit  arranged  in  beautiful  old  Meissen 
bowls,  made  an  attractive  picture.  An  at- 
mosphere of  comfort  pervaded  the  room, 
which  despite  the  luxuriousness  of  its  fur- 
nishings made  a  cozy  impression.  Artistic 
vases  filled  with  fresh  flowers,  fantastically 
arranged,  added  to  the  charm — orchids, 
delicate  and  sensitive;  chysanthemums  of 
brilliant  coloring;  bright  Chinese  lilies  curi- 
ously shaped,  and  fire-red  berries  on  thorny 
217 


THE  PATRIARCH 


branches.  Interspersed  among  these  exotic 
flowers  were  graceful  violets,  lilies  of  the 
valley,  roses,  and  lilacs,  amid  tall  foliage 
plants.  The  display  of  flowers  drew  one's 
attention  away  from  the  artistic  objects  with 
which  the  room  was  rilled,  but  not  over- 
burdened. A  rich  and  refined  taste  was 
shown  in  the  whole  arrangement.  Dr. 
Weilen  appreciated  it  the  instant  he  entered 
the  room.  Mr.  Benas  had  advanced  a  few 
steps  to  greet  his  guest,  which  he  did  form- 
ally, but  cordially,  and  then  presented  his 
wife  and  his  daughter  Rita.  When  the 
visitor  entered,  Rita  put  aside  the  latest  pub- 
lication by  Fontane  which  she  had  been 
reading. 

His  rapid  glance  recognized  "  Stechlin." 

Immediately   after   the   entrance   of   the 

guest,  a  young  man  stepped  through  the 

half-open    door   of    the    adjoining   billiard 

room. 

"  My  son  Hugo,"  the  Geheimrat  intro- 

218 


THE  PATRIARCH 


duced  him.  "  Referendar  at  the  court  of 
appeals." 

"  I  must  again  beg  your  pardon,  Mrs. 
Eenas,  that  I  pay  my  respects  to  you  so  late 
in  the  evening.  But  I  have  something  very 
much  at  heart,  and  I  did  not  wish  to  lose 
several  days  only  in  order  to  come  at  a  more 
seasonable  hour." 

"  Let  me  assure  you,  in  our  house  the 
word  family  affair  is  a  pass-word  that  over- 
rides conventions,  however  strictly  enforced. 
In  this  regard  we  have  carried  the  traditions 
of  our  home  into  the  larger  world.  The 
word  family  always  bears  a  special  appeal  to 
us." 

He  understood  quite  well  that  she  wished 
to  intimate  her  appreciation  of  the  obliga- 
tions demanded  by  social  considerations, 
which,  however,  the  special  circumstances 
permitted  her  to  waive.  With  a  bow  he 
seated  himself  near  the  tea-table,  at  which 
the  others  resumed  their  places  also. 

"  I  am  indebted  to  you  for  your  indul- 
219 


THE  PATRIARCH 


gence.  My  office  hours  come  at  the  cus- 
tomary visiting  time;  and  it  may  have  hap- 
pened that  I  could  not  have  spoken  to  you 
undisturbed,  so  I  took  the  liberty  to  claim 
this  privilege." 
"  Not  at  all." 

In  the  meantime  Rita  had  prepared  the 
tea,  and  offered  him  a  cup. 
"  Thank  you." 

"  Do  you  prefer  a  cigar  or  a  cigarette?  " 
"  Is  smoking  permitted  ?  "  he  asked  of  the 
ladies. 

"  During  the  tea  hour  my  wife  allows 
smoking." 

"  Then  may  I  ask  for  a  cigarette  ?  " 
"  Hugo,  there  are  the  Russian — " 
Hesitating,  as  if  overcoming  some  inner 
aversion,  the  young  man  arose  and  brought 
forward  a  small  smoking  table  with  boxes 
of  cigars  and  cigarettes  and  smoking  appur- 
tenances.   Dr.  Weilen,  with  the  eye  of  a  con- 
noisseur,   noted    the    wonderful    Oriental 
enamel  work  in  the  table.     Hugo  offered 

220 


THE  PATRIARCH 


him  the  cigarettes  and  a  burning  wax-taper. 

"  Thank  you,  Herr  Kollege." 

A  deep  pallor  overspread  Hugo's  face  as 
he  bowed  silently,  while  his  father  said  with 
a  smile :  "  To  such  dignity  we  have  not  yet 
attained." 

"  Your  son  is  a  lawyer  as  I  am,"  he  gra- 
ciously said.  "  I  occupied  the  same  position 
as  he  does  before  I  was  made  Regierungsrat. 
Such  is  the  order  of  advance.  Every  one 
must  make  a  beginning;  isn't  that  so,  Herr 
Kollege  ?  In  which  department  is  your  work 
now?" 

"  In  the  Exchequer.  This  is  the  last  year 
of  my  preparatory  service." 

"  He  has  obtained  his  doctorate,  and  has 
served  his  year  with  the  Dragoons  of  the 
Guard,"  explained  his  father. 

'  Then  the  greatest  tasks  are  over. 
Would  you  not  enjoy  entering  the  service 
of  the  Government  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  he  answered  in  a  firm  voice. 
"  As  a  Jew  I  should  have  no  chances  there." 
221 


THE  PATRIARCH 


The  words  conveyed  an  unmistakable  in- 
sinuation. The  sullen  fire  in  his  eyes  re- 
minded the  Kommerzienrat  of  the  appear- 
ance of  his  clerk  when  he  had  spoken  to  him 
of  Dr.  Weilen. 

The  latter  appeared  not  to  have  heard 
Hugo's  remark,  and  Mrs.  Benas  turned  to 
him  with  some  polite  phrase,  while  Rita 
asked  him  to  allow  her  to  pare  some  fruit 
for  him. 

A  harsh,  ironic  expression  lay  upon 
Hugo's  face.  The  moment  was  ominous, 
but  Dr.  Weilen  rose  to  the  occasion  and 
said: 

"  May  I  tell  you  now  what  prompted  me 
to  ask  for  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  here  ?  " 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benas  looked  at  him  ex- 
pectantly, and  Rita's  eyes  were  fastened 
upon  him  with  evident  interest,  while  Hugo 
stared  into  vacancy,  a  sombre  expression  on 
his  face. 

"  In  a  few  months  our  uncle,  Mr.  Leopold 
Friedlander,  will  celebrate  his  ninetieth 
222 


THE  PATRIARCH 


birthday,  on  the  day  before  Easter.  A 
short  while  ago  chance  threw  a  Jewish 
weekly  into  my  hands,  in  which  mention  was 
made  of  the  unusual  occasion,  and  of  the 
significance  of  Leopold  Friedlander's  career 
for  Rawitsch.  It  was  not  news  to  me;  for 
at  my  home  mention  was  often  made  of 
my  mother's  oldest  brother,  and  as  a  boy 
I  accompanied  her  once  on  a  visit  to  him, 
in  order  to  become  acquainted  with  him.  It 
was  shortly  after  my  confirmation, — I  mean 
my — my  Bar-Mitzvah.  Such  childhood  rec- 
ollections remain  with  one.  My  mother 
wished  me  to  recite  for  him  the  chapter  of 
the  Torah  to  which  I  had  been  '  called  up.' 
This  I  did,  and  the  impression  the  moment 
made  must  have  been  very  deep,  it  has  re- 
mained with  me  through  all  the  various  ex- 
periences of  my  life." 

"  To  be  sure,"  Mrs.  Benas  felt  bound  to 
say,   in   order  to  hide  the  embarrassment 
which  had  come  upon  them.     "  One  never 
223 


THE  PATRIARCH 


entirely  loses  the  recollections  of  one's  child- 
hood." 

"  Why  should  one  ?  They  do  not  repre- 
sent our  worst  side.  There  are  occasions  in 
life  when  they  are  forced  into  the  back- 
ground by  weightier,  more  insistent  exper- 
iences, but  they  return  most  vividly  in  our 
maturer  years  at  such  times  when  we  search 
our  consciences  in  a  confessional  mood. 
When  the  restlessness  of  youth  subsides, 
when  the  struggle  for  existence  is  no  longer 
strenuous,  when  the  goal  is  attained,  then 
it  is  that  the  reminiscences  of  childhood  re- 
appear in  full  vigor.  Such  reminiscences  do 
not  fade,  nor  become  blurred  with  time." 

Rita  had  regarded  him  throughout  with 
fixed  attention. 

"  It  would  be  desirable  for  the  shaping 
of  one's  career,  if  such  impressions  were  at 
all  times  kept  vividly  in  mind,"  Hugo  said 
pointedly. 

"  That  is  not  altogether  true,"  he  re- 
sponded with  a  smile.  "  It  would  interfere 

224 


THE  PATRIARCH 


with  one's  development  if  such  influences 
were  ever  present.  To  live  amply  means 
to  hold  control  over  oneself,  and  one's  per- 
sonality can  be  realized  and  enjoyed  only 
when  we  have  understood  and  tasted  of  life 
in  its  fulness.  Not  alone  from  a  one-sided, 
narrow  standpoint,  but  from  the  broadest 
point  of  view,  from  the  general,  the  imper- 
sonal. Only  then  can  that  which  is  most 
individual  in  us  develop  freely  and  reach 
full  consciousness." 

He  relit  his  cigarette  which  he  had  al- 
lowed to  go  out.  "  But  we  are  wandering 
off  into  philosophic  byways,"  he  said  lightly. 
"  Such  is  always  the  case  when  youth  offers 
us  the  wisdom  of  age.  You  will  forgive  me, 
Herr  Kollege.  It  is  a  challenge  to  prove 
one's  life  not  devoid  of  experiences." 

Rita  thought  her  brother  had  deserved 
this  courteously  delivered  reproof.  What 
could  he  have  been  thinking  of  when  he 
allowed  his  unpleasant  mood  to  get  the  bet- 
ter of  him?  And  toward  a  guest! 
225 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  During  these  last  few  days  I  have  begun 
to  realize,  with  surprise  and  yet  with  pleas- 
ure, how  strongly  my  past  took  hold  of 
me.  I  happen  to  take  up  a  periodical;  my 
eyes  chance  to  light  upon  a  name,  whose 
sound,  long  forgotten,  fe-awakens  old  mem- 
ories. In  a  flash,  the  old  times  live  within 
me  again.  I  am  deeply  impressed — the  sen- 
sation grows  upon  me  ever  more  vividly, 
and  at  last  seeks  expression.  That  brings 
me  to  you." 

"  But  how  did  you  happen  to  come  upon 
this  journal?  "  asked  Mr.  Benas,  merely  for 
the  sake  of  keeping  up  the  conversation. 

"  At  present  my  interests  take  me  to  the 
department  of  press  and  publicity,"  he  re- 
joined with  a  smile,  "  and  one  finds  every- 
thing there.  That  was  the  way  I  came  upon 
the  notice  of  the  ninetieth  birthday  of  Leo- 
pold Friedlander — my — our  uncle.  The 
fine  old  man  has  attained  the  age  of  a  veri- 
table patriarch." 

"  Yes,   Uncle   Leopold   is   well-advanced 

226 


THE  PATRIARCH 


in  years,"  Mrs.  Benas  added ;  "  the  oldest 
of  fourteen  brothers  and  sisters,  he  is  the 
only  one  living." 

"  Is  he  in  good  health,  and  how  does  he 
bear  his  advanced  years?  I  take  it  for 
granted  you  are  in  direct  communication 
with  him." 

"  Certainly,  as  head  of  the  family  he  is 
highly  honored  by  all  of  us.  We  visit  him 
almost  every  year,  and  my  children,  too, 
have  received  his  blessing.  He  is  vigorous, 
mentally  alert,  and  reads  without  spectacles, 
so  that  his  patriarchal  age  does  not  obtrude 
itself  upon  his  visitors." 

"  Strangely  enough,  that  is  just  as  I  had 
pictured  him  to  myself.  And  what  of  his 
direct  descendants,  his  sons  and  daugh- 
ters?" 

"  Both  daughters  are  still  living,  but  only 
one  of  his  three  sons." 

"  Where  do  they  reside?  " 

"  They  all  married  and  remained  in 
Rawitsch.  Jacob,  who  is  almost  seventy 
227 


THE  PATRIARCH 


years  old,  carried  on  his  father's  business, 
which  is  now  in  the  hands  of  one  of  his 
grandsons." 

"  So  the  firm  is  perpetuated  from  gen- 
eration to  generation.  The  grandson,  no 
doubt,  has  a  family  also?  " 

"  Our  cousin  is  still  unmarried." 

"  And  do  all  live  together?  " 

"  Uncle  Leopold,  since  the  death  of  his 
wife,  about  twenty  years  ago,  lives  with 
his  son." 

"  My  visit  to  him  took  place  five  years 
before  that,  when  he  was  still  in  active  busi- 
ness." 

"  When  all  the  children  were  provided 
for,  he  followed  the  desire  of  his  heart,  and 
devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  the  Torah, 
a  pursuit  which,  as  is  natural  in  the  oldest 
son  of  Rabbi  Eliezer,  he  had  always  followed 
with  great  devotion.  Throughout  the  whole 
province,  too,  he  is  held  in  esteem,  as  if  he 
himself  were  a  rabbi  worthy  to  be  the  spir- 
itual heir  of  his  famous  father." 
228 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  These  various  stages  of  family  life 
easily  escape  one  moving  in  quite  different 
circles,  but  they  interest  me  exceedingly; 
and  I  am  most  grateful  to  you  for  this  in- 
formation. The  family  must  have  spread 
greatly,  to  judge  by  the  number  of  children 
our  grandfather  had;  the  descendants  must 
be  very  numerous.  Did  you  know  all  the 
brothers  and  sisters  of  your  mother,  Mrs. 
Benas?" 

"  I  knew  all  of  them,  excepting  an  uncle 
who  died  in  London,  and  your  own  mother." 

"  She  was  the  youngest  of  Rabbi  Eliezer's 
children,  and  died  quite  young.  I,  her  only 
child,  had  not  yet  reached  my  fifteenth  year. 
My  father  married  a  second  time,  and  con- 
sequently the  ties  of  kinship  were  somewhat 
loosened,  and  later,  when  we  moved  to 
South  Germany,  all  connections  were  broken 
off.  From  this  time  on,  I  heard  almost 
nothing  about  my  mother's  family,  and 
when  I  left  my  father's  house  after  my  final 
college  examinations,  to  attend  the  Univer- 
229 


THE  PATRIARCH 


sity  of  Heidelberg,  I  was  outside  the  range 
of  all  family  connections.  Shortly  after  my 
father  died,  and  as  his  second  marriage  was 
without  issue,  I  was  left  alone.  After  the 
year  of  mourning,  my  stepmother  went  to 
live  with  her  brother  in  Milwaukee.  She 
married  a  city  alderman,  Dr.  Sulzberger, 
and  lives  happily  there.  I  give  these  details, 
assuming  that  it  might  be  of  some  interest 
to  you  to  learn  of  the  vicissitudes  of  a  near 
relative,  who  has  come  upon  you  so  un- 
expectedly, even  though  he  is  but  a  branch 
cut  off  from  the  parent  stem  by  peculiar 
circumstances." 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  tell  us  these 
things,  Mr.  Weilen.  At  home,  your  mother, 
Aunt  Goldine,  was  often  spoken  of.  And  I 
also  heard  mention  made  of  the  exceptional 
talents  of  her  son  Victor,  and  of  the  fact 
that  your  father  never  approached  her  family 
after  her  death." 

"  I  do  not  know  the  reasons  for  this,  I 
merely  know  the  result — an  entire  estrange- 

230 


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ment  from  her  family,  and  that  after  my 
father's  death  I  stood  quite  alone." 

"  But  you  might  have  approached  the 
family." 

"  Such  a  step  is  not  natural  for  a  young 
man  who  is  independent  financially — which 
I  was,  having  become  my  father's  heir — 
and  who  believes  that  he  has  found  a  new 
family  in  the  circle  of  his  fellow-students.  I 
belonged  to  the  most  prominent  Corps,  and 
became  my  own  master  when  I  came  of  age. 
My  boyhood,  with  its  recollections  of  my 
mother  and  her  circle,  seemed  a  lost  world, 
from  which  no  echo  ever  reached  me.  I 
loved  my  mother  dearly,  but  at  that  age  it 
is  not  considered  good  form  to  give  in  to 
sentiment ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  more  manly 
to  suppress  my  grief.  In  regard  to  her 
family,  a  certain  obstinacy  and  pride  took 
possession  of  me.  Through  all  that  period 
there  had  been  no  solicitude  for  me  on  their 
part.  Why  should  I  force  myself  upon 
them?  I  thought  that  I  had  no  need  of 
231 


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them.  Presumably  our  views  of  life  were 
wholly  opposed.  After  the  death,  of  my 
mother,  my  life  was  spent  in  very  different 
circles.  I  confess  that  even  in  later  years 
when  I  went  to  Posen  to  visit  the  grave  of 
my  mother,  I  never  thought  of  calling  on 
the  family." 

Mr.  Weilen's  little  audience  followed  his 
words  with  mixed  feelings.  Mr.  Benas  was 
eager  as  to  what  would  be  the  outcome  of 
his  explanations ;  in  Mrs.  Benas'  family 
sentiment  was  awakened;  Rita's  flushed 
cheeks  testified  to  the  excitement  with  which 
she  had  listened;  while  Hugo  looked  sul- 
lenly and  cynically  at  the  dignified  gentle- 
man who  spoke  so  frankly  and  straightfor- 
wardly about  himself  and  the  circumstances 
of  his  life. 

Up  to  this  time  the  conversation  had  been 
carried  on  chiefly  by  Mrs.  Benas  and  her 
cousin.  The  others  listened  in  silence.  But 
now  Mr.  Benas  interposed. 

"  Such  things,"  he  said,  "  frequently  hap- 
232 


THE  PATRIARCH 


pen  in  large  and  scattered  families.  It  is 
almost  impossible  to  follow  the  career  of 
every  member.  Only  those  keep  in  touch 
with  one  another  whom  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances and  conditions  of  life  throw  to- 
gether. My  wife  has  numerous  cousins 
whose  names  we  hardly  know,  and  then, 
again,  there  are  others  with  whom  we  are 
in  constant  and  close  relations.  The  same 
is  true  of  my  own  side  of  the  family. 
Whoever  looks  us  up  and  shows  a  desire  to 
be  friendly,  is  welcome." 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Benas." 

"  Especially  in  this  case,"  he  continued. 
"  But  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  keep  track  of 
every  one.  Think  of  it,  Dr.  Weilen,  the 
father  of  Rabbi  Eliezer,  your  grandfather 
and  my  wife's  as  well,  that  is,  your  great- 
grandfather, Rabbi  Akiba,  was  married 
three  times,  and  had  nine  children.  These 
in  turn  married,  and  no  doubt  were  richly 
blessed  with  children,  and  so  on,  according 
to  God's  commandment :  '  Ye  shall  be  num- 

233 


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erous  as  the  sands  of  the  sea ;'  but  to  pick  out 
all  these  grains  of  sand,  to  observe  them,  and 
know  them  according  to  their  kind,  is  im- 
possible." 

"  /  do  not  think  so,  father,"  said  Hugo. 

"  You  seem  to  be  an  enthusiastic  member 
of  your  family." 

"  I  am  a  Jew." 

Dr.  Weilen's  glance  rested  with  sympathy 
and  interest  on  the  young  man. 

"  But  that  has  nothing  to  do  with  our  talk, 
Hugo,"  said  his  mother,  eager  to  confine 
the  conversation  within  safe  limits.  "  Your 
father  merely  wished  to  illustrate  how  im- 
possible it  is  to  be  in  close  personal  relation 
with  all  the  members  of  a  large,  ramified 
family  like  ours." 

"  To  which  I  desire  to  add  the  interesting 
fact,"  Mr.  Benas  smilingly  said,  "that 
hardly  a  day  passes  without  the  appearance 
of  some  one  or  other  who  claims  to  be  re- 
lated to  us,  either  in  some  remote  way 
through  Rabbi  Eliezer,  or  through  his 
234 


THE  PATRIARCH 


father,  Rabbi  Akiba.  Then  I  always  come 
to  the  conclusion  anew  that  all  Jews  are  re- 
lated to  one  another." 

"  That  they  are,  father,  racially ;  and  they 
have  kept  the  race  pure  for  thousands  of 
years,  and  have  made  it  capable  of  resisting 
the  dangers  threatening  it  from  the  outside, 
through  fire  and  sword,  and  all  persecu- 
tions and  attacks.  Only  disintegration  from 
within  would  destroy  them — if  they  cannot 
put  a  check  upon  it — or  will  not." 

"  But,  Hugo,  why  always  generalize 
about  matters  that  are  of  purely  personal 
concern  to  us?  Joe,"  turning  to  her  hus- 
band, "  it  will  surely  interest  Dr.  Weilen,  to 
see  to  what  trouble  you  went  to  establish 
the  numerous  branchings  of  our  family  tree. 
For  our  silver  wedding,  two  years  ago,  my 
husband  had  the  genealogy  of  Rabbi  Akiba 
Friedlander's  family  traced." 

"  It  was  not  a  simple  matter,"  said  Mr. 
Benas,  "  and  the  artistic  execution  hardly 
cost  Professor  Zeidler  more  trouble  than  the 

235 


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gathering  of  the  data.  A  young  student, 
also  from  our  home  and  distantly  related, 
worked  almost  two  years  at  collecting  and 
arranging  the  material." 

"  I  should  suppose  so.  And  did  he  succeed 
in  making  it  quite  complete  ?  " 

"  So  far  as  I  can  judge,  he  did  succeed. 
Do  you  care  to  see  the  drawing?  " 

"  Very  much." 

Rita  rose  involuntarily. 

"  Will  you  show  it  to  Dr.  Weilen,  my 
dear?" 

"  Certainly,  mother." 

Miss  Rita  conducted  him  to  her  mother's 
room  through  the  large  state  parlor,  the 
walls  of  which,  he  noted  in  passing,  were 
covered  with  canvasses  of  distinguished 
artists.  In  her  mother's  room,  over  a  small 
Florentine  inlaid  table  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, hung  the  genealogical  chart.  The 
room  was  marked  by  the  same  rich  style 
as  prevailed  elsewhere,  but  there  was  some- 
thing more  genial,  more  home-like  in  the 

236 


THE  PATRIARCH 


artistically  furnished  boudoir.  Not  a  bou- 
doir in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word,  but 
rather  the  apartment  of  a  lady, — luxurious 
and  subtly  feminine  withal.  A  soft  glow 
from  an  iridescent  hanging-  lamp  dimly  il- 
luminated the  room.  Rita  turned  on  the 
electric  light  inserted  in  the  bowl  of  an 
antique  lamp,  and  a  bright  radiance  fell  on 
the  large  chart  occupying  almost  the  entire 
wall  space. 

Both  stood  regarding  it  without  speaking. 

Dr.  Weilen  was  lost  in  contemplation, 
then  he  adjusted  his  eyeglasses  as  if  to  see 
better.  "  So  that  is  the  old  pedigree ! 
That's  the  way  it  looks!  So  our  tribe  has 
grown  and  multiplied!  How  remarkable 
and  interesting !  "  He  was  lost  in  contem- 
plation again,  and  drew  nearer  to  the  chart 
to  study  it  in  detail.  It  seemed  as  if  he  had 
entirely  forgotten  Rita's  presence;  and  she 
remained  perfectly  quiet,  so  as  not  to  disturb 
him. 

"  Curious,"  he  said,  half  to  himself,  "  who 

237 


THE  PATRIARCH 


would  have  believed  it?  If  I  hadn't  seen 
it  with  my  own  eyes,  I  would  not  have  real- 
ized the  persistent  vigor  in  the  old  stock." 
He  turned  his  attention  to  the  right-hand 
side  of  the  chart,  read  a  few  names  there, 
and  then  said  to  Rita :  "  Excuse  my  abstrac- 
tion, but  it  is  quite  surprising.  Are  you  in- 
terested in  the  history  of  the  family  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  I  am  used  to  it  from  child- 
hood up,  and  my  mother  has  always  told  me 
all  the  peculiarities  and  incidents  of  the 
family." 

"  And  you  know  your  cousins  person- 
ally?" 

"Quite  many." 

"  And  what  is  their  station  in  life  ?  " 

"  Every  possible  station.  Look  at  all 
these  branchings  and  ramifications.  There 
is  hardly  an  occupation  that  does  not  claim 
one  or  the  other.  Lawyers,  physicians,  tu- 
tors, merchants, — some  very  well  placed  and 
others  less  fortunate.  One  cousin  is  an 
African  explorer,  another  has  joined  a 
238 


THE  PATRIARCH 


North  Pole  expedition;  and  by  marriage 
the  women  of  the  family  have  entered  cir- 
cles as  various.  Among  the  cousins  by  mar- 
riage there  are  architects,  professors,  dentists, 
veterinary  physicians,  engineers,  and  manu- 
facturers. I  think  it  would  hardly  be  neces- 
sary to  go  outside  of  the  family  to  find  one 
of  every  kind,  with  the  exception.  ..." 
Here  she  suddenly  paused  in  her  vivacious 
explanations  and  stared  at  him  with  embar- 
rassment in  her  large  eyes. 

"  Well,  Miss  Rita,  what  branch  is  lacking 
on  the  golden  tree  of  life  ?  " 

A  vivid  blush  suffused  her  face,  which 
appeared  all  the  prettier  to  him  in  its  em- 
barrassed shyness. 

"  I  will  tell  you.  Do  you  see  here  to  the 
right  ?  "  and  he  pointed  out  the  place  with 
his  finger.  "  Here  is  the  name  Goldine,  the 
last  of  the  fourteen  branches  issuing  from 
Rabbi  Eliezer,  joined  to  that  of  Herman 
Weilen — my  parents;  and  here  the  broken 

239 


THE  PATRIARCH 


branch,  quite  symbolic,  do  you  see? — 
without  a  name, — that  refers  to  me." 

Anxious  fear  took  possession  of  her. 

"  Oh,  Herr  Regierungsrat,"  she  stam- 
mered. 

"  That's  just  it — Regierungsrat !  I  have 
been  deprived  of  the  cousinship  on  this 
genealogical  tree.  A  scion  without  a  name, 
disinherited ! " 

There  was  more  sorrow  than  bitterness  in 
his  voice,  and  this  gave  her  the  courage  to 
say :  "  It  surely  happened  unintentionally. 
Nothing  was  known  of  you  in  our  family, 
and  it  was  taken  for  granted  that  you  had 
broken  off  connection  with  it.  We  had  only 
heard  .  .  .  ."  Suddenly  she  hesitated. 

"  Your  reasons  are  significant,  Miss  Rita, 
the  broken-off  branch  dares  not  call  you 
cousin."  A  peculiar  smile  played  about  his 
lips.  "  But  I  should  like  to  finish  the  thought 
you  would  not  express.  You  had  only 
heard  that  I  had  discarded  the  belief  of  my 
fathers,  had  changed  my  religion,  had  en- 

240 


THE  PATRIARCH 


tered  the  service  of  the  Government,  had 
made  a  career  for  myself,  and  hoped  to  reach 
a  still  higher  goal.  That's  it,  is  it  not?  A 
broken-off  branch,  but  not  a  withered  one !  " 

She  gazed  at  him  with  large,  astonished 
eyes  into  which  a  dreamy  expression  grad- 
ually crept. 

"  To  be  sure,"  he  continued,  "  I  have  no 
right  to  complain." 

"  I  never  heard  any  one  speak  of  you  in 
that  way,"  she  declared,  trying  to  regain  her 
self-possession.  "  In  fact  you  were  never 
spoken  of;"  then,  trying  to  improve  the 
thoughtless  expression,  "  at  least  not  often. 
I  think  you  are  wrong  in  your  judgment, 
and  also  in  regard  to  the  family  tree.  I  am 
sure  the  omission  is  accidental." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Miss  Rita,  you  wish 
to  console  me.  It  doubtless  seems  cruel  to 
you  that  a  man  in  the  full  vigor  of  life,  with 
energy  and  ambition  to  reach  yet  higher 
rungs  on  the  ladder  of  success,  should  be 
summarily  hewn  from  the  parent  stem.  If 
241 


THE  PATRIARCH 


I  were  superstitious,  I  should  fear  for  my 
life,  for  my  future.  Fortunately  I  am  not, 
or  rather  I  may  be  superstitious  in  believing 
that  side  by  side  with  the  ill  omen  there  is 
a  good  one,  in  the  shape  of  a  friendly  young 
lady;  and  if  she  will  graciously  accept  me 
as  a  cousin,  then  the  sinister  mark  on  the 
pedigree  will  be  cancelled.  You  surely  have 
not  forgotten  the  stories  of  the  bad  and  the 
good  fairies,  because  it  cannot  be  so  long 
ago  since  you  were  devoted  to  them.  You 
remember?  In  compensation  for  the  evil 
charms  of  the  one,  they  gave  the  poor  victim 
the  blessings  of  the  other  for  protection. 
And  I  should  like  to  regard  you  as  my  good 
fairy." 

There  was  something  very  winning,  very 
lovable  in  his  manner  and  his  words,  and  she 
answered  simply :  "  You  will  not  need  such 
protection,  Dr.  Weilen." 

"  Please,  say  '  cousin.' ' 

There  was  a  moment  of  hesitation,  then 

242 


THE  PATRIARCH 


she  said :  "  You  will  not  need  such  protec- 
tion, cousin." 

"  But  I  may  surely  count  upon  you,  should 
I  happen  to  need  it  ?  " 

"  You  certainly  may." 

Then  they  returned  to  the  tea-table,  Rita 
somewhat  embarrassed,  he  in  high,  good 
humor.  "  The  family  tree  is  exceedingly 
interesting,  Mr.  Benas,"  he  said.  "  You 
will  permit  me,  I  hope,  to  study  it  in  all  its 
details.  Even  a  cursory  glance  impressed  me 
tremendously.  At  the  very  root,  generations 
back,  where  there  are  names  testifying  to  a 
strong  and  hardy  stock,  is  the  father  of 
Rabbi  Eliezer,  Rabbi  Akiba,  a  luminary  in 
Talmudic  lore,  a  great  man  even  in  those 
days.  Then  again,  among  his  children,  one 
excelled  in  strong  individuality  and  great 
knowledge,  Rabbi  Eliezer,  and  from  him 
and  his  descendants  a  numerous  progeny, 
among  whom  again  Leopold  Friedlander 
stands  out  conspicuous;  and  so  the  family 

243 


THE  PATRIARCH 


tree  continues  to  spread  its  limbs,  luxuriant 
in  leaf  and  blossom." 

Rita  hung  on  his  words ;  she  was  nervous, 
fearing  a  reference  to  the  broken  branch. 
But  he  said  nothing,  only  fixed  his  glance 
on  her  meaningly.  She  drew  a  long  breath 
of  relief. 

"  It  was,  indeed,  a  pleasure  to  me  to  see 
the  work  executed,"  Mr.  Benas  remarked, 
"  and  my  wife  received  it  with  great  enthu- 
siasm." 

"  I  should  suppose  so." 

They  felt  their  guest  was  sincere  in  all 
he  said,  and  yet  they  could  not  rid  them- 
selves of  a  feeling  of  estrangement.  He 
had  introduced  himself  to  them  in  so  peculiar 
a  manner.  This  equivocal  position  of  close 
kinship  and  complete  alienation  produced  a 
certain  constraint,  which  despite  the  polished 
ease  and  courtesy  of  the  man  of  the  world 
could  not  be  overcome.  And  all  the  time 
each  one  asked  himself  the  true  purpose  of 
his  visit. 

244 


THE  PATRIARCH 


As  if  conscious  of  the  unspoken  question, 
he  said :  "  As  is  natural  when  members  of 
the  same  family  meet  each  other  for  the 
first  time,  we  quickly  dropped  into  the  dis- 
cussion of  common  interests;  and  in  pass- 
ing from  one  subject  to  another,  I  have  not 
reached  the  point  of  telling  you  what  in- 
duced me  to  visit  you." 

He  reflected  a  moment  as  if  searching 
for  the  proper  phrase. 

"  When  I  read  the  notice  of  the  anniver- 
sary celebration  of  Leopold  Friedlander,  I 
was  suddenly  overcome  with  the  wish  to 
take  part  in  it.  The  wish  came  like  a  secret 
longing  for — for  my  home!  My  boyhood 
came  back  to  me.  I  saw  my  uncle  before 
me  as  I  had  seen  him  then.  The  years  of 
estrangement  disappeared  from  my  mental 
vision;  I  heard  his  tender,  hesitating  voice 
again,  I  felt  his  hand  upon  my  head,  ex- 
tended in  blessing;  and  I  became  conscious 
of  the  words  of  the  benediction  spoken 
in  the  language  of  the  race.  All  that  had 

245 


THE  PATRIARCH 


happened  between,  I  seemed  to  have  for- 
gotten; and  it  took  an  appreciable  time  be- 
fore I  was  recalled  to  myself.  But  the  wish 
once  aroused  in  me  was  not  to  be  eradi- 
cated, and,  ever  since,  my  thoughts  have 
dwelt  upon  the  possibility  of  its  fulfilment." 

A  peculiar  tensity  of  feeling  came  over 
the  small  circle.  They  followed  his  words 
with  growing  astonishment;  and  neither  he 
nor  the  others  thought  of  throwing  off  the 
mood  his  words  had  inspired. 

"  It  was  quite  clear  to  me  that  without 
some  preliminary  ceremony  I  dare  not  in- 
trude upon  the  family  group  gathered  about 
him  on  this  anniversary  day.  According  to 
the  traditions  of  our  family,  I  had  forfeited 
the  right;  and  yet  I  hoped  I  might  find 
some  appreciation  of  my  position  among  the 
younger  generation  and  the  intercession  I 
need.  I  had  often  heard  of  your  family, 
Mr.  Benas,  and  I  saw  your  name  at  the 
head  of  the  lists  of  all  charitable  and  public 
enterprises;  and  although  I  was  surprised 

246 


THE  PATRIARCH 


never  to  meet  you  and  your  family  on  oc- 
casions at  which  common  interests  might 
have  thrown  us  together  in  certain  social 
circles,  to  which  you  really  belong.  .  .  ." 

"  Of  late  years  we  have  withdrawn  from 
all  intercourse,  except  with  our  own  family, 
and  a  few  intimate  friends,"  interrupted 
Mrs.  Benas. 

"  But  your  position  involves  certain  social 
obligations." 

"  Nowadays  one  hardly  notices  it,  per- 
haps does  not  care  to  notice  it,  if  these 
obligations  are  not  fulfilled,"  Mr.  Benas  re- 
joined with  a  slightly  ironical,  slightly 
pained  expression.  "  Formerly  ours  were 
the  most  successful,  the  most  elegant,  and 
the  most  entertaining  functions.  My  wife 
had  a  gift  for  entertaining;  and  it  was  al- 
ways a  pleasure  for  us  to  welcome  happy, 
clever,  representative,  gay  people.  Now  we 
confine  ourselves  to  a  few  formal  and  official 
dinners,  made  necessary  by  my  connection 
with  the  leading  financial  circles." 

247 


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"  We  have  become  used  to  it,  and  do  not 
miss  anything,"  added  Mrs.  Benas.  "  The 
spacious  rooms  which  formerly  resounded 
with  merry  society  are  now  quiet.  But  a 
more  intimate,  a  more  sincere  life  has  taken 
its  place.  Personally  I  should  not  feel  the 
difference;  but  at  times  I  am  sorry  that  our 
daughter  is  not  able  to  enjoy  the  stimulus 
and  the  attractions  of  such  social  gather- 
ings. In  the  old  days  she  had  not  yet  made 
her  debut" 

"  But,  mother,  I  have  often  told  you  that 
I  have  no  longings  in  that  direction.  Your 
goodness  to  me  enriches  my  life  sufficiently. 
Whatever  is  beautiful,  great,  important,  I 
enjoy." 

"  But  it  was  entirely  different  when  the 
people  who  offered  the  great  and  the  beau- 
tiful things  of  which  you  speak  came  and 
went  freely  in  our  house,  in  a  certain  sense 
belonged  to  us,  were  our  guests.  The  fore- 
most artists  and  men  of  science  used  to  come 
here." 

248 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"I  think,  father,  it  is  much  pleasanter 
to  know  the  works  than  the  authors,"  Hugo 
interrupted  brusquely.  "  Every  one  knows 
what  such  as  they  seek  in  the  homes  of  rich 
Jews;  and  when  you  pay  for  their  services 
and  creations,  and  ask  nothing  of  them  so- 
cially, then  you  do  them  and  yourself  the 
greatest  favor." 

"  That  has  not  always  been  the  case, 
Hugo.  Your  views  are  too  severe  and 
rigid." 

"  It  has  always  been  so ;  only  perhaps 
there  were  times  when  it  was  not  so  evi- 
dent. What  do  we  want  with  their  well- 
meant  intentions  and  condescensions,  their 
forbearances  and  tolerations,  their  humani- 
tarian impulses!  At  bottom  it  has  al- 
ways been  the  same.  The  Jew  was  always 
burned! — in  Sultan  Saladin's  time,  as  well 
as  now.  Only  now  we  do  not  complacently 
accept  such  treatment,  wagging  our  tails  in 
gratitude  like  a  dog." 
249 


THE  PATRIARCH 


A  dull  fire  burned  in  his  eyes.  His  face 
wore  an  expression  of  pride  and  energy. 

"  I'm  afraid,  Hugo,"  his  mother  said,  try- 
ing to  calm  him,  "  that  our  guest  has  but 
little  interest  in  your  opinions.  You  know, 
too,  that  we  do  not  agree  with  you  alto- 
gether." 

"  Forgive  me,  Dr.  Weilen,"  he  said,  turn- 
ing to  their  guest  with  the  conventional 
manner  and  incisiveness  of  a  Prussian  func- 
tionary and  a  volunteer  of  the  Guards.  "  I 
was  carried  away  by  the  subject,  and  then 
I  thought  that  here  at  my  father's  table 
....  you  see,  we  are  not  accustomed,  now- 
adays, to  have  any  one  with  us  who  does 
not  understand  our  pain  and  indignation." 

"  Nor  is  that  the  case  on  this  occasion — at 
least  not  since  this  evening,  not  since  this 
hour  which  I  have  been  permitted  to  spend 
among  you." 

Hugo  bowed  in  silence. 

Dr.  Weilen  arose,  saying: 

250 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  But  I  must  not  encroach  upon  your 
hospitality  too  long.  You  know  now  what 
it  is  I  wish.  Do  you  believe  a  way  can  be 
found  for  me  to  be  present  in  Rawitsch  at 
Uncle  Leopold's  birthday  celebration?  Will 
the  family  receive  me  for  that  day?  Will 
he  himself  be  disposed  to  receive  me?  I 
beg  of  you  to  help  me  realize  this  desire  of 
mine.  In  affairs  like  this,  in  which  a  sym- 
pathetic temperament  is  of  more  avail  than 
cold  reason,  a  clever  and  noble  woman  is 
the  best  messenger;  and  women  are  fine 
diplomats,  too.  May  I  count  upon  you,  Mrs. 
Benas,  honored  cousin  ?  " 

"  I  will  consider.  But  how  ?  As  regards 
the  matter  itself,  I  am  entirely  on  your  side. 
But  you  understand  that  in  a  large  family 
there  are  scores  of  considerations  and  pre- 
judices that  must  be  taken  into  account" 

"  I  understand  that  perfectly." 

"  But  there  is  still  plenty  of  time  before 
the  birthday  celebration." 
251 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Diplomatic  undertakings  must  be  ar- 
ranged long  in  advance,"  he  laughed. 

"  I  will  make  use  of  your  suggestion  and 
start  negotiations,"  she  said,  cleverly  re- 
sponding to  his  pleasantry. 

"  And  will  you  allow  me  to  come  again, 
to  assure  myself  of  the  progress  of  the  nego- 
tiations, and  to  encourage  them  by  my  per- 
sonal intervention?  I  must  tell  you  that  I 
have  felt  very  much  at  home  with  you,  not 
at  all  like  a  stranger." 

"  I  thank  you,  Dr.  Weilen,"  answered  his 
host,  politely ;  and  his  wife  added,  "  You 
will  always  find  a  welcome  here."  There- 
upon he  took  his  leave,  Hugo  escorting  him 
to  the  hall,  where  the  servant  helped  him 
on  with  his  heavy  fur  coat. 


When  Dr.  Weilen  stepped  out  into  the 
street,  gusts  of  wind  blew  the  snow-flakes 
whirling  about  merrily  against  his  face. 
Tiny,  pointed  snow-crystals  caught  in  his 

252 


THE  PATRIARCH 


beard  and  blinded  his  eyes.  He  pulled  up 
his  fur  collar  more  snugly,  and  hailed  a  pass- 
ing cab. 

He  hesitated  a  moment  before  giving  di- 
rections. 

He  was  not  in  the  mood  to  return  at  once 
to  his  own  house;  he  drew  out  his  watch 
and  saw  by  the  light  of  the  carriage  lamp 
that  it  was  nearly  eleven  o'clock. 

"  How  quickly  the  time  passed,"  he 
mused.  "  I  may  still  find  some  of  my  friends 
at  the  '  Hermitage '  or  at  the  'Kaiserhof.'  " 
But  as  he  was  about  to  enter  the  cab,  he 
decided  that  he  did  not  care  for  companion- 
ship, and  he  concluded  to  go  directly  to  his 
house,  which  was  in  the  upper  part  of 
Wilhelmsstrasse.  On  reaching  his  room, 
he  lit  the  lamp  on  his  desk,  intending  to 
work  a  little  while.  But  a  moment  later  he 
tossed  his  pen  aside;  he  was  too  restless, 
and  not  in  the  proper  mood.  He  paced  up 
and  down  the  room  to  regain  his  com- 
posure. 

263 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Remarkable !  What  refinement,  dignity, 
and  self-respect;  and  not  a  bit  purse-proud 
or  arrogant,"  he  said  softly  to  himself. 
"  The  old  man — well,  perhaps  just  a  wee  bit, 
but  even  he  is  very  restrained;  one  can 
hardly  notice  it.  And  his  wife,  my  cousin, 
quite  comme  il  faut, — so  ladylike!  Why 
not?  The  Friedlanders  are  of  ancient  aris- 
tocracy !  The  mother's  blood  seethes  in  the 
son's  veins!  Poor  fellow!  What  exper- 
iences and  sufferings  a  young  Prussian  law- 
student  and  volunteer  of  the  Guards  must 
have  met  with  to  have  become  so  curt  and 
repelling.  And  this  despite  the  princely 
fortune  which  might  have  flung  every  door 
open  to  him,  especially  of  those  houses 
which  a  man  of  his  age  most  desires  to  enter. 
Instead  of  that,  half-martyr,  half-hero,  he 
fashions  his  own  ideals.  An  interesting 
fellow!  Evidently  talented  and  possessing 
the  courage  of  his  convictions.  How  deter- 
mined he  was  to  vent  his  opinions,  somewhat 
aggressively,  of  course,  to  show  me  that  I 

254 


THE  PATRIARCH 


did  not  overawe  him  in  the  least.  A  nice 
sort  of  chap!  And  then  little  Rita!  How 
modest  and  quiet,  and  clever  withal,  for  you 
could  see  that  she  was  interested  in  the  con- 
versation, even  when  she  was  silent.  Her 
eyes  spoke,  and  so  did  her  mobile  little  face. 
And  she  takes  all  this  wealth  quite  as  a 
matter  of  fact;  she  is  to  the  manner  born; 
she  does  not  regard  it  as  anything  extra- 
ordinary. Altogether  charming! " 

He  had  conquered  his  restlessness  a  little 
during  these  reflections;  he  lit  a  cigar  and 
went  over  to  a  table  by  the  fire-place,  heaped 
with  books,  pamphlets,  and  journals.  A 
low  fire  flickered  on  the  hearth.  He  fanned 
it  to  a  bright  flame,  then  moved  the  lamp 
from  his  desk  to  the  table  and  settled  him- 
self in  an  arm-chair. 

"  I  wonder  whether  they  will  restore  me 
to  their  good  graces !  Not  only  the  Benases, 
but  the  others, — Uncle  Leopold's  family. 
If  only  for  the  one  day !  How  I  hope  they 

255 


THE  PATRIARCH 


will!     I'm  actually  homesick  for — for  the 
Ghetto!" 

He  took  up  a  book.  "  If  they  were  to 
see  you  now,  Victor,  the  gentlemen  of  the 
Foreign  Office!  Yet  a  Ghetto  it  remains 
for  all  their  liberty  and  all  their  magnifi- 
cence. Whether  in  the  grand  drawing-room 
of  the  Tiergarten  villa,  or  at  Uncle  Leopold's 
in  Rawitsch.  .  .  .  That's  exactly  what  the 
young  son  recognizes  in  his  vigor  and  in 
his  consciousness  of  injured  pride.  The 
older  ones  have  become  resigned  to  it." 


In  the  family  of  Geheimrat  Benas  the 
visit  of  Dr.  Weilen  had  caused  dissension. 
The  father  wished  to  invite  Dr.  Weilen  to 
dinner  in  the  near  future.  It  seemed  to  him 
a  matter  of  course  that  a  guest  who  had 
approached  them  so  graciously  and  uncon- 
strainedly  should  receive  equal  courtesy  at 
their  hands.  His  wife  was  inclined  to  sec- 
ond him  in  this  view,  but  she  was  strongly 
256 


THE  PATRIARCH 


influenced  by  Hugo,  who  decidedly  opposed 
fostering  a  connection  which,  experience 
taught  them,  might  result  in  nothing  but 
mortification  and  neglect.  At  first  Rita 
was  a  silent  member  of  these  councils,  but 
at  length  she  said :  "  I  cannot  understand 
why  you  talk  yourself  into  such  ideas,  Hugo. 
We  have  no  right  to  be  discourteous  to  a 
guest  who  has  approached  us  so  politely. 
Impoliteness  is  lack  of  refinement  in  all  cir- 
cumstances. We  do  not  interfere  with  your 
opinions,  and  therefore  you  have  no  right 
to  ask  us  to  have  none  of  our  own.  But 
above  all,  you  should  not  ask  us  to  disregard 
all  the  social  consideration  to  which  any 
visitor  at  our  house  is  entitled." 
"  Yes,  any  one  except  Dr.  Weilen." 
"  But  why  ?  You're  indulging  in  pure 
caprice !  Has  he  done  anything  or  neglected 
to  do  anything  to  cause  such  brusque  treat- 
ment?" 

Hugo  frowned. 

257 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Did  he  not  please  you,  Hugo  ? "  his 
mother  asked,  in  a  pacific  tone. 

"  Please  me?  I  don't  think  we  have  a 
right  to  be  influenced  by  our  personal  sym- 
pathies or  antipathies.  Dr.  Weilen  pleased 
me  well  enough,  but  he  is  our  enemy,  just 
as  every  one  else  ....  or  rather  more  than 
any  one  else!  And  therefore  I  find  it  un- 
necessary to  give  him  encouragement.  I 
should  not  like  him  to  think  we  are  running 
after  him,  or  feel  honored  because  he  con- 
descended. .  .  ." 

"  Goodness  gracious,  Hugo,  sometimes 
you  are  quite  unbearable!  If  people  heard 
you,  they  would  think  you're  Elkish.  One 
can  excuse  such  prejudices  in  an  old,  un- 
educated man ;  but  in  a  modern  young  fellow 
of  your  education  they  are  hardly  to  be 
condoned.  We  do  not  oppose  your  ideas 
and  your  convictions,  but  you  ought  not 
to  go  so  far  as  to  impose  them  upon  the 
family!  As  a  result  of  circumstances  be- 
yond our  control  we  find  ourselves  outsiders 

258 


THE  PATRIARCH 


in  society ;  yet  we  need  not  carry  our  resent- 
ment to  the  extent  of  repulsing  a  gentle- 
man who  has  been  so  pleasant  and  respect- 
ful in  his  advances.  And  that  only  because 
he  is  a  man  in  an  exalted  position." 

Mr.  Benas  spoke  with  irritation.  He 
continued  impatiently: 

"  Entirely  of  his  own  accord  he  told  us 
how  he  had  happened  to  become  estranged 
from  his  family ;  and  no  doubt  he  could  ex- 
plain his  further  actions.  But  after  all  it  is 
none  of  our  business.  The  sincerity  of  his 
manner,  his  personality  attracted  me.  Of 
course,  at  moments  we  were  constrained 
and  uncomfortable,  but  that  was  surely  due 
to  us,  not  to  him,  and  above  all  to  your  own 
brusqueness;  and  his  manner  of  ignoring 
that  was  more  than  amiable." 

"  We  must  thank  him  for  this  condescen- 
sion most  humbly." 

"  Hugo !  "  He  met  a  look  of  warning 
and  beseeching  in  his  mother's  eyes. 

"  Well,  enough  of  this.    We'll  invite  Dr. 

269 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Weilen  to  dine  with  us  next  Sunday.  It 
is  not  to  be  a  formal  invitation.  Fanny, 
you  yourself  write  a  few  lines,  and  don't 
invite  many  people.  Ten  or  twelve  will 
do.  In  the  small  dining-room — a  simple  but 
elegant  affair.  However,  you're  well  posted 
in  all  those  fine  distinctions,  my  lady,"  he 
added  playfully,  to  temper  the  impression 
of  his  severity  toward  Hugo.  "  And  see  to 
it  that  our  young  man  acquires  more  normal 
ideas.  I  know  you  are  confederates,  and 
secretly  you  harbor  his  views." 

"Joshua!" 

He  laughed.  "  There,  you  see,  I  am 
right.  Usually  you  call  me  Joe,  but  in  un- 
commonly solemn  moments  it  is  Joshua! 
Dr.  Weilen  made  the  advances,  we  must  in- 
vite him,  unless  we  intend  to  insult  him  with 
a  repulse,  and  as  we  do  not  want  to  insult 
him,  we  must  follow  the  conventions.  I  ex- 
pect you  to  take  this  as  your  rule  of  behavior 
toward  the  Regierungsrat,  Hugo.  I  have  no 
fondness  for  ostentation  or  inconsiderate- 

260 


THE  PATRIARCH 


ness.  Our  opinions  in  order  to  be  sincere 
and  effective  need  not  take  the  form  of  aloof- 
ness and  discourtesy.  Remember  that !  " 

The  young  man  looked  almost  pained ;  but 
he  did  not  respond.  As  he  was  a  Jewish 
young  man,  respect  for  paternal  authority 
was  deep-rooted  in  his  being.  Moreover,  his 
father  was  ordinarily  so  amiable,  kind,  and 
considerate  toward  his  children,  that  when 
once  he  was  decided  and  firm,  there  was  no 
thought  of  opposing  him. 

Rita's  eyes  gleamed  on  her  father.  A 
genial,  tacit  understanding  existed  between 
the  two,  which  leagued  them,  as  it  were, 
against  the  mother  and  Hugo.  This  pretty, 
good-natured  party  difference  gave  a  pe- 
culiar charm  to  the  intimacy  of  their  family 
life. 

"  It  is  lucky  that  Rita  is  my  confederate," 
he  laughingly  said  as  he  arose,  "  else,  by 
this  time,  the  shield  of  David  would  be 
emblazoned  over  the  door,  and  no  stranger 
would  be  allowed  to  cross  the  threshold.  In 

261 


THE  PATRIARCH 


fact,  Elkish  advocated  some  such  thing  when 
we  spoke  of  Dr.  Weilen's  visit.  Elkish  and 
you  on  the  same  platform!  For  heaven's 
sake,  children,  do  not  let  us  be  ridiculous! 
I  surely  appreciate  the  old  man ;  and  during 
the  past  days  he  has  brilliantly  demonstrated 
his  value  in  the  matter  of  the  *  Magdeburgs,' 
but  everything  must  be  kept  within  bounds. 
It  is  time  for  me  to  go  to  my  office  now. 
Fanny,  whom  do  you  want  to  invite?" 

"  How  would  Professor  Zeidler  do — and 
Jedlitzka,  and  Hoffman,  the  sculptor?  " 

"  All  right !  But  no ;  they  have  not  been 
invited  for  some  time;  and  they  mustn't 
think  we  waited  until  we  could  have  a 
Regierungsrat  to  meet  them, — oh,  no !  " 

A  smile  of  triumph  flitted  about  the  cor- 
ners of  Hugo's  mouth. 

"  Invite  a  few  of  our  own  family. 
Justizrat  Friedheim,  Robert  Freudenthal, 
the  architect,  and  Amtsgerichtsrat  Lesser, 
with  their  wives.  That  makes  six;  we  are 

262 


THE  PATRIARCH 


four;  with  Dr.  Weilen  eleven.  We  need  a 
bachelor." 

"Dr.  Rosenfeld?" 

He  laughed.  "  Well,  yes !  So  that  you 
and  Hugo  may  have  support.  But  now  I 
must  go.  There's  just  time  to  catch  Bam- 
berger  before  the  Exchange  opens.  Good- 
by,  children.  Don't  get  up  from  the  table — 
Mahlzeit! " 

Unanimity  of  opinion  did  not  prevail 
among  the  three  he  left  at  their  breakfast. 
Nevertheless,  before  the  day  was  over,  Dr. 
Weilen  received  an  invitation  to  dine  with 
the  Benases  on  the  following  Sunday. 

On  the  whole,  the  dinner  passed  off  very 
pleasantly.  Dr.  Weilen,  with  the  ease  of  the 
man  of  the  world,  made  himself  at  home  in 
the  small  circle.  It  was  not  difficult  for 
him  to  find  points  of  contact  with  these 
men  holding  a  high  position  in  society ;  and 
the  women  were  so  well-mannered,  cultured, 
and  genial,  that  he  quickly  lost  the  feeling 
of  strangeness.  Besides,  his  own  being 

263 


THE  PATRIARCH 


radiated  an  atmosphere  of  cordiality,  which 
smoothed  over  the  awkwardness  of  a  first 
meeting.  The  greetings  between  him  and  his 
hosts  might  almost  have  been  called  cordial, 
as  between  people  conscious  of  spiritual  kin- 
ship. The  Geheimrat  was  in  an  especially 
good  humor;  and  Rita  felt  inclined  to  be 
all  the  more  friendly  as  she  was  very  ap- 
prehensive of  Hugo's  conduct  toward  their 
guest. 

Her  fears  proved  groundless.  Hugo  was 
too  well-bred  to  act  discourteously  toward 
his  father's  guest.  His  behavior,  though 
reserved,  was  faultlessly  polite.  The  ap- 
pearance of  Dr.  Weilen,  the  Regierungsrat, 
in  his  home  was  a  fait  accompli,  to  be  ac- 
cepted; consequently  Dr.  Weilen  soon  felt 
at  his  ease  in  this  company.  The  family 
connection  between  him  and  certain  of  the 
guests  was  not  spoken  of.  No  one  displayed 
any  curiosity.  They  seemed  to  be  united  by 
a  secret  bond.  In  the  course  of  the  dinner 
the  feeling  of  good-will  increased.  Dr. 

264 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Weilen  was  charmed  with  the  elegant  mode 
of  life,  and  was  particularly  pleased  to  see 
that  the  forms  of  good  society  seemed  to 
come  natural  to  them.  Nothing  betrayed 
that  they  had  grown  up  in  different  circum- 
stances, and  that  their  present  luxury  had  not 
been  inherited  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, but  had  been  acquired  within  measur- 
able time.  They  had  all  the  manners  and 
accessories  of  their  station.  The  liveried 
servants,  the  beautiful  porcelain,  the  costly 
silver,  the  exquisite  wines,  and  the  choice 
dishes  were  as  much  in  place  here  as  in  the 
most  aristocratic  circles  that  Dr.  Weilen 
frequented.  The  splendor  of  the  surround- 
ings pleased  him,  not  for  the  sake  of  the 
wealth  itself,  but  for  the  air  with  which  it 
was  carried  off.  He  felt  himself  attracted  to 
them,  he  felt  a  spiritual  kinship. 

He  became  especially  interested  in  Jus- 

tizrat  Friedheim,  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Benas's 

on  her  father's  side.     He  was  a  man  with 

a  powerful,  distinguished  head  set  upon  a 

265 


THE  PATRIARCH 


small,  thick-set  body.  Well  known  in  the 
legal  world  through  his  commentary  upon 
commercial  law,  he  had  taken  a  prominent 
part  in  behalf  of  the  national  liberal  party 
during  a  recent  session  of  the  Reichstag  He 
had  declined  re-election  on  the  ground  of 
poor  health.  However,  anyone  who  looked 
at  this  vigorous  man,  still  in  the  prime 
of  his  manhood,  would  readily  surmise  that 
there  were  other,  deeper-lying  reasons,  not 
openly  mentioned,  that  deprived  the  father- 
land of  the  services  of  this  active  and  dis- 
tinguished statesman.  To  his  left  sat  the 
hostess,  whom  Dr.  Weilen  had  taken  down  to 
dinner,  and  upon  his  other  side  sat  Mrs.  Les- 
ser. She  was  a  beautiful  blonde,  with  fine 
teeth,  and  animated  countenance,  and  lively 
manners.  She  was  complaining  to  her  neigh- 
bor that  it  had  become  an  impossibility  to  get 
into  the  Reichstag,  since  he  was  no  longer 
a  member. 

"  I'm  not  good  for  anything  any  more," 
266 


THE  PATRIARCH 


he  answered,  "  but  all  you  need  to  do  is 
apply  at  the  office." 

"  That's  such  a  nuisance.  Formerly  it 
was  so  pleasant  to  sit  in  the  members'  box, 
and  listen  to  Bebel  and  Eugen  Richter." 
With  an  affectation  of  alarm  she  glanced 
at  Dr.  Weilen.  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  Herr 
Regierungsrat." 

"  The  Government  is  accustomed  to  evils," 
jestingly  interposed  Mr.  Friedheim. 

She  hesitated  to  reply  only  one  instant; 
then  quick-wittedly :  "  So  we  are  in  the 
same  boat  as  the  Government !  " 

"  We  could  wish  for  no  pleasanter  com- 
panions in  our  misery,"  Dr.  Weilen  gallantly 
said,  and  raised  his  glass  to  touch  hers. 

It  was  inevitable  that  every  now  and 
then  the  conversation  should  take  a  danger- 
ous turn,  no  matter  how  careful  they  were 
to  confine  the  talk  to  literary  and  art  topics, 
and  avoid  politics.  But  in  a  circle  of  intel- 
lectual men  this  was  difficult ;  and  the  women 
of  this  circle  seemed  as  conversant  with  the 

267 


THE  PATRIARCH 


questions  of  the  day  as  the  men.  However, 
with  perfect  tact  and  good  taste,  they 
avoided  whatever  might  have  provoked  an 
argument;  and  though  their  opinions  were 
expressed  with  wit  and  understanding,  noth- 
ing occurred  to  give  offense.  They  left  the 
table  in  high  spirits.  The  temperament  of 
their  race  came  out  very  distinctly,  no  less 
in  the  case  of  the  Regierungsrat  than  of  the 
others. 

Friedheim,  Lesser,  and  Weilen  were  chat- 
ting together  in  the  smoking-room  over 
their  coffee;  the  host  and  Freudenthal,  the 
architect,  were  looking  over  the  plans  for 
a  villa  on  the  Wannsee,  which  had  been 
offered  to  Mr.  Benas.  The  ladies  and  the 
two  younger  men  had  withdrawn  to  the 
music-room;  and  presently  the  strains  of 
Wagner's  "  Feuerzauber  "  were  heard,  play- 
ed with  masterly  skill. 

"  Who  plays  so  wonderfully  ?  "  asked  Dr. 
Weilen. 

"  Mrs.  Freudenthal,  a  famous  artist  before 

268 


THE  PATRIARCH 


my  cousin  married  her.  Perhaps  you  heard 
of  her  under  her  stage  name,  Flora  Bens- 
heimer." 

"  O,  of  course,  the  great  pianiste?"  he 
asked  with  interest.  "  And  is  she  the  wife 
of  the  architect?  Has  she  given  up  her 
career  ?  " 

"  She  plays  only  for  her  immediate  fam- 
ily. When  our  cousin  married  her  ten 
years  ago,  she  continued  to  perform  now  and 
then  in  public  for  charitable  purposes;  but 
for  the  last  few  years,  she  has  given  that  up 
as  well." 

"  But  that  is  a  loss  both  to  charity  and  to 
the  public." 

"  Freudenthal  doesn't  let  charity  suffer 
on  that  account,"  answered  Mr.  Friedheim. 
"  He  is  very  rich  and  gives  generously  on 
all  sides ;  but  he  holds  that  he  has  no  further 
obligations  to  the  public.  The  remarkable 
talent  of  his  wife  he  keeps  from  the  world 
ever  since  it  was  subjected  to  affront.  He 
can  dispense  his  money  without  attracting 
269 


THE  PATRIARCH 


notice;  but  he  must  conceal  his  wife's  art 
so  as  not  to  attract  undue  notice." 

"  But  that  is  egotistical." 

"  Perhaps.  He  is  peculiar.  The  mar- 
riage is  a  childless  one,  and  his  wife  is 
everything  to  him,  wife  and  child  in  one." 

"  And  was  it  easy  for  her  to  decide  to  give 
up  the  fascinations  of  a  public  career?  She 
is  known  all  over  the  world." 

"  Freudenthal  has  transplanted  her  to  the 
best  of  all  worlds,  to  the  shelter  of  a  loving 
and  devoted  marriage.  He  idolizes  her  and 
casts  laurel  wreaths  and  diamonds  at  her 
feet,  such  as  have  never  been  showered  upon 
any  other  artist — a  whole  grove  of  laurels 
around  her  villa  at  Nice,  and  as  for  the 
diamonds — consult  the  ladies  about  them; 
they  know  about  such  things." 

Dr.  Weilen  was  amused  by  Mr.  Fried- 
heim's  sarcastic  manner,  and  he  rejoined :  "  I 
should  like  to  hear  about  them.  At  all 
events  I  shall  look  up  the  ladies." 

The  closing  chords  of  the  "  Feuerzauber  " 

270 


THE  PATRIARCH 


died  away,  as  he  arose  quietly  and  went  to 
the  adjoining  room.  He  had  observed  Rita 
through  the  open  door. 

She  was  listening  to  the  music,  lost  in 
revery,  and  she  started  with  surprise,  when 
she  suddenly  heard  at  her  side :  "  Are  you 
musical,  too,  Miss  Rita  ?  " 

"  Yes,  a  little.  In  our  family  we  all  play. 
Music  is  so  inspiring,  and  we  seem  to  have 
a  talent  for  it.  I  do  not  mean  Flora  Freu- 
denthal,  who  has  married  into  the  family, 
but  there  is  Mrs.  Lesser,  a  cousin  of  my 
mother  and  of  Mr.  Friedheim,  herself  a 
Friedheim,  who  has  a  superb  voice.  She 
was  trained  under  the  most  distinguished 
singing  masters;  and  some  of  my  other 
cousins  have  a  fine  understanding  of  music, 
and  devote  much  time  to  it." 

"  I  suspect  it  is  a  Friedheim  gift ;  for  I 
myself  am  not  at  all  musical." 

She  reflected  a  moment  before  saying: 
"  It  seems  so,  Dr.  Weilen,  though  I  never 

271 


THE  PATRIARCH 


thought  of  it  before.  Those  on  the  Fried- 
lander  side  have  other  talents." 

He  smiled.     "  You  are  very  kind." 

Slightly  embarrassed,  she  answered: 
"  That  was  not  an  empty  compliment.  My 
mother's  relatives  on  the  maternal  side  have 
done  much  in  scientific  ways.  Professor 
Jacob  Friedlander  in  Breslau,  Professor 
Emil  Friedlander  in  Marburg,  Professor 
Felix  Friedlander  of  the  Karlsruhe  Poly- 
technic, are  all  men  of  scientific  note;  as  is 
also  Professor  Ernest  Biedermann,  whose 
mother  was  a  Friedlander,  and  who  is  a 
leader  among  modern  German  painters." 

All  unconscious  though  she  was  of  it, 
her  words  reflected  pride  and  joyous  en- 
thusiasm. A  slight  flush  overspread  her 
face;  her  animated  glance  rested  involun- 
tarily upon  the  family  pedigree  that  hung 
opposite  to  them. 

"  You  are  well  acquainted  with  the  posi- 
tions your  relatives  occupy.  Do  you  visit 
them?" 

272 


THE  PATRIARCH 


She  was  startled  at  his  words  as  though 
she  had  discovered  a  false  note  in  them, 
irony  and  derision.  But  he  looked  at  her 
so  innocently  and  so  sympathetically  that 
she  was  ashamed  of  her  mistrust. 

"  Not  at  all.  Occasionally  we  meet  Pro- 
fessor Biedermann.  As  a  rule  his  calling 
takes  him  into  quite  different  circles." 

"  And  who  are  the  people  who  would  not 
be  glad  to  have  the  entree  in  such  a  home 
as  your  parents'  ?  "  he  asked  thoughtfully. 

"  My  parents  have  not  cared  for  a  wide 
circle  of  acquaintances  for  years.  My  father, 
whose  eminently  successful  career  and  pub- 
lic services  entitle  him  to  a  certain  amount 
of  pride,  scorns  to  be  put  in  a  position  where 
he  is  merely  tolerated;  and  my  mother's 
pride  is  no  more  able  to  bear  rebuffs."  She 
paused  in  alarm  at  what  she  had  said.  Why 
had  she  allowed  herself  to  be  so  carried 
away  ?  She  had  been  overcome  by  the  ever- 
lasting woe  and  sorrow  of  her  race,  which 
arise  anew  in  every  generation;  and  this 

273 


THE  PATRIARCH 


in  the  presence  of  a  stranger, — of  this 
stranger. 

She  looked  at  him  timidly,  with  a  troub- 
led expression. 

"  Why  do  you  not  continue,  Miss  Rita, — 
or  may  I  call  you  cousin,  as  I  did  before? 
You  have  no  idea  how  much  I  am  interested 
by  what  you  say.  I  have  met  Professor 
Biedermann,  but  I  did  not  introduce  myself 
as  cousin." 

"  Indeed !  "  she  answered  suddenly  be- 
coming quite  cold. 

"  Do  not  misunderstand  me.  You  see, 
all  these  cousins  of  whom  you  spoke  have 
very  plainly  given  me  to  understand  that 
they  have  renounced  me;  for  otherwise  one 
or  the  other  of  them  who  moves  in  the 
same  walks  that  I  do  would  some  time  have 
bethought  himself  of  me." 

"  How  could  you  expect  that?  "  she  said 
eagerly.  "  You  are  unjust.  You  were  the 
one  to  withdraw  entirely  from  the  connec- 

274 


THE  PATRIARCH 


tion,  without  possibility  of  recall."  Again 
she  hesitated. 

"  Do  you  believe  that  unprejudiced  men 
would  lay  that  up  against  me  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  exactly ;  but  what 
cause  would  there  be  for  them  to  approach 
you  ?  Those  who  have  need  of  the  family  can 
always  find  a  place  in  it,  and  there  are  many 
such,  alas,  many,  far  more  than  those  who 
have  attained  a  position  in  life.  The  family 
connection  establishes  a  common  interest; 
and  this  keeps  them  in  touch  with  one 
another  permanently.  At  family  gatherings 
every  now  and  then  one  hears  of  some 
good  fortune  that  has  befallen  one  or  the 
other,  and  this  brings  pleasure  to  each  mem- 
ber of  the  family.  My  mother  especially  is 
very  well  informed,  and  is  anxious  to  learn 
of  anyone  who  has  risen  to  importance  or 
honor.  And  now  we  speak  of  an  event  of 
that  kind  ofterfer  than  formerly;  we  take 
it  as  a  consolation,  a  comfort,  that  one  of 
us  has  attained  to  some  position,  even 
275 


THE  PATRIARCH 


though  it  be  only  what  was  well  deserved, 
without.  .  .  ." 

"  Say  it  openly,  without  baptism." 
A  deep  flush  covered  her  face,  and  in  her 
eyes  there  were  restrained  tears. 

To  what  had  the  conversation  led  her? 
To  a  point  at  which  he  could  not  but  be 
hurt.  She  looked  at  him  helplessly,  unable 
to  utter  a  word.  At  length  she  stammered, 
"  O  no,  that — I — that  was  not  intended — 


"  Why  should  they  not  say  it  ?  In  reality, 
it  is  not  an  easy  matter  for  those  gentlemen 
to  attain  the  positions  that  are  their  due; 
and  therefore  their  promotion  is  received 
with  especial  delight,  not  only  by  the  family, 
but  by  the  congregation,  by  the  whole  race. 
And  now  at  last  I  hear  the  tale  from  a 
wholly  fair  and  unprejudiced  source." 

She  gazed  at  him  with  open  doubt. 

"Aren't  you  unprejudiced,  Miss  Rita?" 

"  Not  any  longer,"  she  answered,  with  a 
sigh.  At  this  moment  her  mother  entered. 
276 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Rita,  Betty  is  going  to  sing,  won't  you 
accompany  her  ?  " 

She  arose  quickly,  as  though  released 
from  some  dread  oppression. 

"  Gladly,  mother." 

He  looked  at  her  with  a  quiet  smile.  She 
noticed  it,  and  was  again  overcome  by  her 
shyness.  What  must  he  think  of  her  ?  Like 
a  babbling,  foolish  child,  she  had  inconsid- 
erately touched  upon  subjects  bound  to  lead 
to  painful  discussions, — topics  that  all  had 
tactfully  avoided,  all  except  herself,  the  last 
person  to  intend  an  insult.  If  Hugo  had 
said  such  a  thing,  how  it  would  have  irritated 
her,  and  in  his  case  it  might  have  been  ex- 
cusable; but  she — was  it  fate,  a  spell  that 
forced  her  thoughts  in  such  directions?  It 
seemed  as  though  these  questions  cast  a 
shadow  over  her  every  thought  and  action. 
That  an  innocent  conversation  should  sud- 
denly and  involuntarily  take  a  turn  that 
gives  an  equivocal  meaning  to  everything 
277 


THE  PATRIARCH 


said,  should  give  her  words  unintended 
innuendo  and  insinuations — nothing  was 
farther  from  her  thoughts ;  and  yet  the  thing 
had  occurred.  It  was  only  the  interruption 
of  her  mother  that  had  saved  her  from 
further  indiscretions. 

"  Our  cousin  Betty,  Mrs.  Lesser,  has  a 
charming  voice." 

"  So  Miss  Rita  has  just  told  me." 

"  So,  Rita,  you  have  been  entertaining 
our  guest  with  the  recital  of  the  talents  of 
our  family  ?  " 

"  She  has  done  so,  excellently ;  I  have  the 
liveliest  interest  in  them,  and  am  truly 
grateful  to  your  daughter." 

He  looked  at  Rita  with  a  lingering  glance. 
She  returned  it.  Their  eyes  met,  and  then 
she  bowed  silently  and  went  into  the  music- 
room.  Presently  Schubert's  "  Wanderer," 
was  heard,  beautifully  rendered. 

"  And  ever  longing  asketh  where !  "  was 
the  sad,  melancholy  refrain.  "  Ever  where !  " 

278 


THE  PATRIARCH 


He  shook  his  head  as  if  to  rid  himself  of 
a  sad  thought. 


Dr.  Weilen  took  leave,  promising  to  come 
soon  again.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benas 
had  invited  him  to  repeat  his  call.  The 
other  guests,  who  had  gathered  in  the  draw- 
ing-room, remained  to  chat  a  little  more  and 
enjoy  a  glass  of  Pilsener. 

"  You  may  say  what  you  will,  Benas,  it 
is  more  congenial  when  we  are  by  ourselves," 
said  Mr.  Freudenthal. 

"  You  are  too  exclusive,  Isi,"  said  Mrs. 
Benas.  "  Surely  I  am  the  last  who  would 
plead  for  a  mixed  choir,  since  we  have  been 
plainly  given  to  understand  that  our  voices 
do  not  please ;  but  there  is  nothing  about  Dr. 
Weilen  that  disturbs  our  company  or  seems 
strange.  Even  on  the  first  evening  he  came, 
he  struck  the  right  note,  and  he  seemed  one 
of  us.  He  really  is  at  bottom.  One  cannot 
deny  one's  kin." 

279 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  But  it  took  a  long  time  for  him  to  re- 
member," Mr.  Friedheim  said  ironically. 

"  Only  until  an  opportune  moment  ar- 
rived. How  should  he  have  known  that  the 
names  Lesser  and  Friedheim  belonged  to  his 
family?  He  was  still  a  boy  when  connec- 
tions were  broken  off  with  his  mother's 
family,  and  he  has  never  had  any  occasion 
to  resume  the  relation,"  added  Mr.  Benas. 
"  Friedheim,  he  knows  you  through  your 
commentary;  Lesser,  you,  through  your 
'  Order  of  Bankruptcy,'  your  names  are 
well  known  to  the  lawyer;  but  that  is  no 
reason  for  him  to  have  supposed  you  to  be 
his  Mishpocheh.  It  was  very  evident  that 
he  was  pleased  to  discover  the  additional 
tie."  He  laughed  jovially.  "  That's  human 
nature,  but  the  feeling  of  satisfaction  when 
special  honor  comes  to  any  member  of  the 
family,  is  particularly  developed  among  us. 
Even  he  does  not  deny  this,  and  why?  Es- 
trangement does  not  change  one's  inherited 
nature." 

280 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  But  habit  and  education  do.  Whoever 
alienates  himself  and  cuts  himself  off,  be- 
comes an  exile  and  a  stranger,"  said  Mr. 
Freudenthal. 

"  Dr.  Weilen  is  not  a  case  in  point.  The 
manner  of  his  coming  here  is,  in  fact,  an 
argument  against  your  thesis." 

"  A  mere  mood,  father,  a  romantic  whim," 
Hugo  said  scornfully. 

"  In  such  matters  your  opinion  does  not 
count,  because  your  views  blind  you  and 
make  a  fanatic  of  you." 

"After  all,  it  is  not  a  matter  of  great 
moment  that  he  should  have  come  here," 
said  the  Justizrat. 

"  Years  ago  you  might  have  said  so,  but 
not  now.  Whoever  seeks  us  now  and  ac- 
knowledges us,  belongs  to  us." 

"  If  you  would  only  free  yourself  from 
the  habit  of  considering  whatever  is  con- 
nected in  the  remotest  degree  with  the  Jew- 
ish question  as  something  of  the  greatest 
import.  It's  really  a  matter  of  absolute  in- 

281 


THE  PATRIARCH 


difference  to  me  whether  a  given  person 
comes  or  goes,  how  he  comes  or  goes,  and 
what  he  thinks  or  does.  It's  merely  a  private 
matter,  an  individual  case." 

"  Every  individual  case  is  at  the  present 
time  a  matter  of  universal  concern,"  said 
Hugo,  his  eyes  glowering. 

"  There  we  are,  before  we  know  it,  at  the 
same  wearisome  discussion.  Throw  the  cat 
as  you  will,  it  always  lands  on  its  feet,"  ex- 
claimed Mr.  Benas,  angrily. 

"  The  question  forces  itself  upon  us, 
whether  we  wish  it  or  not,"  said  Mr.  Freu- 
denthal,  "  the  clearest  proof  that  it  exists ; 
just  as  a  painful  sickness  reminds  the  suffer- 
ing body  of  its  existence.  Of  what  use  are 
morphine  injections?  Merely  a  momentary 
deadening,  but  the  evil  is  not  removed." 

"  But  one  gets  tired  of  continually  harp- 
ing on  the  same  old  chord,"  Friedheim  an- 
swered. "  But  in  the  world,  by  strangers, 
then  in  one's  own  reflections,  and  finally  in 
the  talk  of  friends,  acquaintances,  rela- 
282 


THE  PATRIARCH 


tions,  in  such  social  gatherings  as  this,  at 
Skat,  or  dinners  — everywhere  the  same  dish 
is  served.  Occasionally  you  really  long  for 
an  injection  for  the  sake  of  peace." 

"  Yet  there  are  few  to  whom  the  matter 
has  been  as  vital  as  to  you,"  said  Freuden- 
thal. 

"  Just  because  of  that.  Do  you  think  a 
wound  is  healed  by  constantly  tapping  it? 
I  use  a  morphine  of  my  own,  my  own  tried 
anaesthetic, — strenuous  work,  untiring  ac- 
tivity, and  the  development  of  my  specialty. 
This  for  the  world;  and  for  myself, — a 
quiet  family  life." 

"  That  has  not  been  your  taste  always,"  in- 
terrupted Lesser.  "  You,  a  politician !  A 
man  made  for  public  life!  Concerned  in 
every  matter  of  state  and  city  government, 
always  in  the  public  eye." 

Earlier  in  their  careers  the  cousins  had 
harbored  slight  jealousies  in  matters  of  this 
kind. 

"  Now  we  have  it  again,"  cried  Mr.  Fried- 
283 


THE  PATRIARCH 


heim,  angrily,  rising,  "  now  the  sequel  will 
follow:  And  how  did  they  reward  you? 
Didn't  they  remind  you  of  the  yellow  badge 
your  fathers  wore  ?  Didn't  they  wave  it  be- 
fore you,  a  token  of  past  shame,  and 
what  is  worse,  of  future  shame?  How  did 
they  thank  you  for  the  gift  you  gave  them 
in  your  legal  work,  in  your  endeavors  for 
the  public  weal,  and  so  on  ad  infinitumf  I 
know  this  war  cry,  and  I  am  not  in  the  mood 
to-day  to  hear  it  again." 

Mr.  Lesser  and  Mr.  Freudenthal  had  also 
arisen. 

"  Whether  you  wish  to  hear  it  or  not, 
that  does  not  in  the  least  change  matters," 
said  Mr.  Freudenthal.  "  And  if  you  should 
stop  up  your  ears  with  cotton,  you  would 
only  deafen  yourself  temporarily;  the 
trumpet  call  would  sound  all  the  louder." 

"  I'm  entirely  satisfied  to  hear  no  more 
of  it  for  a  time  at  least." 

"  Desire  and  convenience  do  not  regulate 
such  affairs,"  said  Mr.  Lesser,  ironically. 
284 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Why  not  ?  What's  to  prevent  our  get- 
ting together  comfortably  without  these 
endless  disputes  and  excited  debates  ?  " 

'  The  fact  that  the  stranger  has  been  in 
our  midst,  and  we  are  restless,  excited,  ner- 
vous, like  those  who  live  in  unrest,  without 
a  fixed  abiding-place." 

All  turned  toward  the  speaker;  both  the 
women  who  had  followed  the  conversation  in 
silence,  after  vain  attempts  to  calm  the  dis- 
putants, and  the  men,  whose  tempers  were 
heated  by  the  discussion. 

The  words  seemed  to  echo  from  another 
world, — lamenting,  exhorting,  warning. 

It  was  Dr.  Rosenfeld  who  had  spoken 
them.  The  young  man  sat  there  deathly 
pale,  as  though  frightened  by  his  uncalled- 
for  interference  in  the  family  quarrel.  The 
whole  evening  and  even  during  the  last 
conversation  he  and  Hugo  had  remained 
quiet,  although  their  faces  plainly  expressed 
their  interest. 

"  My  dear  Henry,  you,  too,  carry  matters 

285 


THE  PATRIARCH 


too  far,"  said  Mr.  Friedheim,  impatiently. 
"  But  as  our  humor  is  spoilt,  and  it  is  late, 
I  think  it  is  best  to  break  up.  The  fresh 
December  air  will  cool  us  off,  and  we  will 
go  home,  only  to  begin  over  again,  at  the 
next  opportunity." 

"  We  expect  you  on  Wednesday  -for 
Skat,"  said  Mrs.  Freudenthal. 

"  Aha,  the  session  for  the  next  discussion 
is  arranged,"  Mr.  Friedheim  laughed. 

"  Good-by,  then,  until  Wednesday." 

"Good-by." 

*    *    * 

Hugo  and  Henry  also  took  their  leave 
to  spend  an  hour  at  the  Cafe  Bauer,  where 
they  were  to  meet  several  friends. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benas  and  Rita,  left  alone, 
went  to  Mrs.  Benas's  boudoir. 

"  It  is  strange  how  easily  we  are  carried 
away  when  we  are  among  ourselves.  Fried- 
heim and  Lesser  are  always  ready  for  a 
fight.  The  slightest  difference  of  opinion, 
and  off  they  go,"  said  Mrs.  Benas. 

286 


THE  PATRIARCH 


'  The  curious  thing  is  that  at  bottom  their 
opinions  are  not  so  very  different,  but  argu- 
mentation is  a  racial  trait.  There's  no  doubt, 
we  have  too  much  temperament."  Mr. 
Benas  smiled,  lighting  a  cigar,  and  leaning 
back  comfortably  in  his  arm-chair.  "  I'm 
curious  to  know  whether  Dr.  Weilen  is  such 
a  wrangler  as  the  rest  of  the  Friedlanders 
and  the  Friedheims,"  he  added,  trying  to 
tease  his  wife. 

"  I,  Joshua?  I  know  others  who  don't  lack 
the  same  trait." 

"  But,  Fanny  dear,  how  can  you  com- 
pare us?  Generations  of  practice  in  the 
subtle  dialectics  of  the  Talmud — that  tells. 
It  is  not  by  chance  that  your  family  is  fa- 
mous in  all  intellectual  pursuits,  while  the 
rest  of  us,  who  bear  on  our  escutcheon  the 
rabbit  skins  and  bags  of  wool  carried  about 
by  our  ancestors,  cannot  get  to  be  more 
than  mere  Geheimer  Kommerzienrat." 

He  liked  to  refer  occasionally  to  his  hum- 
ble descent  from  simple  merchants;  espe- 

287 


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daily  when  he  felt  his  superiority  as  a  quiet, 
self-contained  man  of  the  world,  who  could 
afford  to  laugh  at  the  irritability  and  sensi- 
tiveness of  others.  That  always  put  him 
in  a  good  humor;  and  Mrs.  Benas,  well 
aware  of  this,  fell  in  with  his  mood. 

"  Naturally,  Joshua !  Geheimer  Kom- 
merzienrat,  that's  nothing!  You  know  you 
don't  believe  that.  I  think  we  may  well 
be  satisfied  with  one  another.  Friedlander, 
Friedheim,  and  Benas !  That's  an  imposing 
triple  alliance.  I  think  we  may  be  well  con- 
tent." 

"  And  with  all  that  belong  to  it." 

"  Even  though  they  quarrel  the  moment 
they  come  together,  at  the  bottom  of  their 
hearts  they  swear  by  one  another  and  are 
proud  of  one  another." 

"  Besides,  a  bit  of  argument  is  entertain- 
ing, and  brings  life  into  the  shindig." 

His  wife  looked  at  him  reproachfully. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon !  I  withdraw  '  shin- 
dig/ " 

288 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Indeed,  you  ought  to  be  careful,  Joe. 
One's  language  is  bound  to  deteriorate  when 
one  indulges  in  such  vulgar  expressions." 

"  But  they're  so  distinctive  and  expressive, 
almost  as  good  as  the  Jewish  intonation." 

"  Leave  them  to  others." 

"  Hold  on,  Fanny.  Do  you  see  how  I 
have  caught  you  ?  Who  is  exclusive  ?  Who 
are  the  others  ?  Who  are  the  others  ?  Pity 
that  Hugo  is  not  here." 

He  was  delighted  and  amused,  and  laugh- 
ed at  the  embarrassment  of  his  wife.  She 
quickly  recovered  herself,  and  answered: 

"  The  others  are  the  vulgar  ones,  the  un- 
cultured, the  mob,  with  whom  we  have  noth- 
ing in  common,  and  don't  want  to  have  any- 
thing in  common." 

"  And  the  rest  say  the  same  of  us.  Let 
us  have  nothing  to  do  with  those  aliens, 
those  interlopers,  those  parasites,  that  fer- 
ment, which  decomposes  the  healthy  vigor- 
ous elements  of  the  Aryan  race.  That's  the 
gracious,  charitable  refrain." 

289 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Here  we  are  again  at  the  Jewish  ques- 
tion," said  Mrs.  Benas,  somewhat  displeased, 
"  we  three,  here  alone." 

"  Papa,  mamma,  and  the  bahy,"  laughed 
Mr.  Benas. 

"  It's  really  not  funny,  Joshua,"  said  Mrs. 
Benas,  earnestly  and  thoughtfully.  "  It 
actually  seems  as  if  we  could  never  get  rid 
of  it,  as  if  it  followed  us  everywhere.  Mr. 
Friedheim  is  right.  It  sits  at  our  table,  it 
accompanies  us  to  social  gatherings,  to  the 
theatre,  and  to  concert  halls;  it  stands  next 
to  us  wherever  we  go  in  the  world,  meets 
us  on  our  travels,  and  forces  itself  into  our 
dreams  and  our  prayers." 

"  You  exaggerate,  Fannsherl.  The  imagi- 
nation and  the  eloquence  of  the  Friedlanders 
are  awakening  in  you.  We  know  how  they 
think  and  speak,  always  in  superlatives,"  he 
teased  good-humoredly,  in  order  to  calm  her 
excitement. 

"  But  you  see  how  it  is  yourself,  Joshua. 
We  get  here  together  cozily,  in  order  to 

290 


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chat  a  bit,  to  rest  ourselves  after  the  strain 
of  entertaining,  we  have  no  sinister  inten- 
tions, in  fact,  we  are  ready  to  reproach  our 
relatives  with  indiscretion,  and  before  we 
know  it,  we  are  in  the  thick  of  it." 

"  In  the  soup,  7  should  have  said,"  he 
added,  trying  to  give  the  talk  a  jesting  turn. 

"  Joshua,  please,  don't  joke.  I  am  in 
earnest.  Isn't  it  very  sad  that  all  our 
thoughts  should  be  dominated  by  this  one 
subject  ?  That  we  can't  free  ourselves  from 
it  any  more?  That  we  can't  rise  superior 
to  it?  That  it  intimidates  us,  makes  us 
anxious,  petty,  serious,  and  embittered?" 

"  Yes,  dearest,  since  you  ask  me  to  be  in 
earnest,  I  must  agree,  that  conditions  are, 
indeed,  very  sad,  even  though  great  con- 
cessions are  still  made,  have  to  be  made,  to 
us  merchants  who  are  in  the  world  of  com- 
merce and  finance.  But  for  how  long  ?  Who 
knows  ?  A  festering  wound  spreads,  despite 
morphine  injections,  as  Freudenthal  says. 
He  could  tell  tales!  One  of  the  most  tal- 

291 


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ented  of  architects,  full  of  spirit  and  taste, 
with  artistic  skill  and  training  seldom  met 
with  in  his  profession,  especially  here  in 
Berlin,  and  although  he  has  been  a  royal 
Government  architect  since  the  year  '78,  he 
has  been  so  completely  pushed  aside  that  he 
has  been  forced  to  put  all  his  energies  into 
land  and  suburban  speculations  out  there  on 
the  Kurfurstendamm,  in  the  Grunewald  sub- 
urb, and  in  the  elaborate  business-houses  on 
the  Leipzigerstrasse.  Naturally  this  brings 
him  a  large  income,  and  that  is  one  more 
reason  why  his  work  becomes  a  reproach." 

Mrs.  Benas  sighed. 

"And  Friedheim?  His  capabilities,  his 
thoroughness,  and  his  valuable  achievements 
entitle  him  to  a  place  in  the  ministry.  Instead 
of  that  he  has  actually  reached  the  exalted 
point  of  being  Justizrat,  a  title  of  seniority 
like  Sanitatsrat  among  physicians.  What 
difference  does  it  make  that  as  an  attorney 
he  has  a  practice  worth  one  hundred  thous- 
and marks?  He  is  ambitious,  has  aspira- 
292 


THE  PATRIARCH 


tions,  like  all  prominent  professional  men, 
and  finds  himself  set  aside  in  the  prime  of 
his  powers.  Lesser,  too,  told  me  recently 
that  he  is  going  to  resign.  He  has  exhausted 
the  last  possibility  in  his  career,  he  cannot 
hope  for  further  advancement,  so  he  is  going 
to  give  up  official  life,  devote  himself  to  his 
scientific  researches,  and  indulge  in  travel. 
As  soon  as  Hedwig  is  married,  he  and  Betty 
can  get  away  easily.  They  can  leave  the 
boys  behind,  they  have  enough  money  for 
that." 

"  That  is  and  will  always  remain  the  only 
thing  that  gives  us  independence,  and  dig- 
nity, too,"  she  said  bitterly.  "  We  have  the 
money — and  then  the  world  is  surprised  that 
we  strive  so  persistently  to  obtain  it,  hold  on 
to  it  with  such  tenacity,  and  enlarge  our  for- 
tunes once  we  have  them." 

"  Nobody    wonders    at    that    nowadays. 

Only  the  envious  and  spiteful  who  have  no 

money  themselves.     But  we  may  as   well 

admit  it;  what  is  true  of  our  own  small 

293 


THE  PATRIARCH 


circle  is  true  everywhere.  Well-deserving 
persons  are  trammelled  in  their  activities.  So 
far  and  no  farther !  Wherever  we  look,  we 
see  them  chained  to  the  lowest  stages,  'l^ot 
beyond  the  boundary  we  have  mapped  out 
for  you,'  says  the  Government.  '  You  want 
to  climb,  you  are  equipped  to  be  brave  moun- 
taineers, you  lack  nothing  you  need  to  reach 
the  summit,  neither  courage,  nor  endurance, 
nor  strength.  Yet  remain  below,  remain 
below ! '  The  foot-hills  reached  at  the  first 
spurt,  mere  child's  play  for  their  abilities, 
are  the  only  heights  they  are  allowed  to 
scale.  The  way  is  barred,  the  natural  course 
of  their  energies  repressed.  It  is  frightful 
that  restrictions  other  than  considerations  of 
capacity  should  hold  back  the  aspirants ;  that 
ostracism  should  be  decreed  because  of  a 
mere  chance  adherence  to  a  certain  faith." 

"  Then  Hugo  and  his  friends  are  not  so 
greatly  in  the  wrong  as  you  sometimes  de- 
clare ?  "  she  asked  with  tense  expectancy  in 
her  voice. 

294 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  No,  not  in  principle,  but  in  their  aims. 
Those  are  phantoms,  fantasies!  A  dream 
which  foolish  boys  dream, — and  clever  wo- 
men." 

Rita  had  followed  her  parents'  conversa- 
tion, partly  in  absent  revery,  partly  with 
alert  interest.  "  No,  you  can't  get  rid  of  it," 
she  said  in  a  soft,  reflective  voice.  "  I  my- 
self experienced  it  this  evening,  when  I  was 
speaking  with  Dr.  Weilen.  Suddenly  we, 
too,  had  arrived  at  the  fateful  subject." 

"Well,  that  settles  it.  You,  too — and 
he!" 

Her  father  kissed  her  tenderly  on  her 
forehead,  and  added  jestingly,  "  Pray,  don't 
tell  Hugo  or  Henry  of  this.  Good-night, 
Rita." 

"  Good-night,  papa.  Good-night,  mam- 
ma." She  respectfully  kissed  her  parents' 
hands. 

"  Sleep  well,  dear  child,"  her  mother  said, 
also  kissing  her  upon  her  forehead. 
*     *     * 
295 


THE  PATRIARCH 


On  the  twenty-third  of  December  a  com- 
pany of  young  men  gathered  at  the  house  of 
Hugo  Benas,  in  his  roomy,  comfortable 
study  on  the  second  floor.  They  were  in  the 
midst  of  an  exciting  debate,  when  Dr.  Henry 
Rosenfeld  entered. 

"  Why  so  late,  Henry  ?  "  one  of  the  young 
men  called  to  him. 

He  glanced  around  at  the  bright,  clear- 
cut  faces.  Two  decidedly  showed  the  racial 
type,  but  in  the  others  the  keenest  eye  could 
not  detect  even  a  slight  indication  of 
their  origin;  they  were  blonde  and  blue- 
eyed,  and  crowned  broad-shouldered  figures. 
Dr.  Rosenfeld  himself  answered  this  de- 
scription, and  no  one  would  have  suspected 
him  to  be  a  Jew. 

"  We  have  been  expecting  you  this  last 
half-hour.  Magnus  told  us  that  you  would 
be  here  at  eight  o'clock,"  said  Hugo  as  he 
drew  out  his  watch.  "  It  is  half-past  eight 
now." 

"  I  was  detained  by  Professor  Lisotakis, 
296 


THE  PATRIARCH 


in  the  Oriental  Seminar."  He  placed  his 
note-books  and  volumes  on  the  table  and  ac- 
cepted the  ready  courtesy  of  one  of  his 
companions,  who  helped  him  to  remove  his 
overcoat. 

"Have  you  been  working  until  now?" 
Tender  solicitude  was  expressed  in  Hugo's 
voice.  "  Come,  sit  here,"  he  pointed  to  a 
comfortable  arm-chair,  near  the  fire-place. 
"  It  is  very  cold  this  evening,  and  I  am  sure 
you  are  half-frozen  without  having  noticed 
it." 

They  all  laughed,  but  the  smile  that 
played  about  Rosenfeld's  lips  was  a  bit 
forced. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Hugo.  I  have 
been  walking  fast,  lost  in  thought ;  and  when 
you  think  hard,  you  forget  the  weather." 

"  I  wager  Henry  was  wandering  under 
cedars  and  palms  on  his  way  here,  when  in 
reality  he  was  passing  under  snow-laden 
trees  along  the  Linden,  through  the  Tier- 
garten,"  laughingly  cried  out  a  young  man 
297 


THE  PATRIARCH 


of  dark  complexion,  as  he  twisted  his  black 
moustache,  and  pushed  his  gold-rimmed  eye- 
glasses closer  to  his  near-sighted  eyes. 

He  caught  a  curious  glance  from  Rosen- 
feld;  his  deep  blue  eyes,  fixed  upon  an  im- 
aginary point  in  the  far  distance,  seemed  to 
carry  the  suggestion  of  energy  and  fanati- 
cism. 

"  That's  possible,  Sternberg,"  he  an- 
swered, "  why  not?  " 

"  I  cannot  understand,  Sternberg,  how 
you  can  profane  and  make  a  joke  of  a  mat- 
ter that  is  sacred  to  us,  the  memory  of  the 
history  of  our  race,"  said  Hugo. 

"  Never  mind,  Hugo,  why  shouldn't 
dreams  become  realities  ?  "  said  Rosenfeld, 
with  sadness  and  longing  in  his  voice. 

"  Not  in  wanton  jests,  however." 

"  A  fellow  might  be  allowed  a  joke  now 
and  then,"  muttered  the  culprit. 

"  Hardly !  Everything  that  belongs  to 
our  past  is  too  beautiful;  and  now  that  it 
is  a  departed  glory,  a  lost  sanctuary,  it  is 
298 


THE  PATRIARCH 


too  sad  to  make  mock  of.  I  find  it  quite 
out  of  place  to  assuage  the  irritating  wounds 
of  the  soul  with  scorn.  It  is  a  sign  of  de- 
generacy in  us  to  banter  and  to  scoff,  and 
cynically  to  vulgarize  the  ridicule  and  the 
contempt  heaped  upon  us  by  others.  It  is 
undignified,  and  makes  for  disintegration. 
That's  the  reason  I  object  to  the  type  of 
drama  in  which  Jewish  manners  and  pecu- 
liarities of  the  most  degenerate  and  pitiable 
of  our  race  are  exposed  on  the  pillory. 
They  are  considered  as  typical,  and  people 
say :  '  Look  you,  such  they  are ! '  If  I  had 
the  authority,  I  should  prohibit  them.  And 
then,  too,  I  hate  those  wretched  money  jokes, 
those  translations  of  words  from  the  noble 
language  of  our  race,  which  give  them  a 
distorted,  ambiguous  meaning.  We  are  not 
raised  so  high  out  of  the  mire  as  to  allow 
ourselves  such  privileges.  We  are  in  the 
midst  of  it,  in  the  midst  of  sorrow  and  en- 
mity, struggle  and  defense,  and  we  are  far 
from  victory,  and  we  alone  are  at  fault.  This 
299 


THE  PATRIARCH 


lukewarmness,  this  indifference,  this  hush- 
ing-up,  this  self-ridicule,  they  are  our  mis- 
fortune. The  tactics  of  an  ostrich!  Keep 
your  eyes  tight  shut !  Don't  peep !  Imagine 
others  are  blind!  But  they  are  only  too 
well  aware  of  our  helplessness,  our  weak- 
ness, our  cowardice,  our  lack  of  courage. 
Where  could  they  find  a  more  suitable  object 
on  which  to  let  out  their  bad  humor  ?  I  tell 
you,  I  would  do  the  same  thing.  He  who 
grovels  on  the  ground,  must  expect  to  be 
spat  upon,  and  he  mustn't  complain." 

His  words  poured  forth  in  a  torrent.  He 
breathed  hard,  and  his  face  turned  ghastly 
white.  Deep  silence  followed  his  speech. 
Sternberg,  embarrassed,  fingered  a  book 
lying  before  him.  His  eyeglasses  slipped 
down  on  his  nose,  and  his  near-sighted  eyes 
roved  with  searching  glances  from  one  to 
the  other  of  the  company.  At  last  a  young 
man  spoke : 

"  There's  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  what 
Benas  says.  We  dare  not  deceive  ourselves ; 

300 


THE  PATRIARCH 


indeed,  we  are  the  very  last  to  do  it,  even  if 
one  of  us  does  occasionally  make  a  poor  joke 
about  it.  Every  one  of  us  feels  the  same 
passionate  pain  in  his  soul  as  Hugo  does, 
and  every  one  is  possessed  by  the  same 
pride  and  the  same  enthusiastic  desire  for 
a  different  order  of  things." 

These  soothing  words  made  a  good  im- 
pression. Dr.  Eric  Magnus,  a  young  physi- 
cian, the  scion  of  a  very  prominent  and 
wealthy  family,  always  found  favor  as  a 
peacemaker  when  differences  arose  among 
his  comrades.  It  was  he  who  always  did 
the  reconciling,  and  eased  the  jars  inevitable 
among  young  men  of  such  various  disposi- 
tions. They  called  him  the  "  Olive  Branch," 
and  he  was  proud  of  the  nickname.  "  Little 
Olive  Branch  is  right  as  usual,"  said  Hugo, 
and  extended  his  hand  to  Sternberg  across 
the  table. 

"  I  meant  no  harm,  Siegfried ;  and  besides 
it  was  quite  impersonal,  you  know  that.  The 
subject  made  me  forget  myself." 
301 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Sternberg  was  ready  to  give  in ;  he  clasped 
Hugo's  hand  heartily.  The  "  Olive  Branch  " 
raised  his  glass,  and  turning  to  the  two 
disputants  and  then  to  the  others,  drank  to 
their  health : 

"Prosit." 

"Prosit/'  they  cried  as  they  all  touched 
glasses.  And  the  little  unpleasantness  that 
had  seemed  imminent  was  averted. 

Thereupon  Dr.  Rosenfeld  took  a  letter 
from  his  portfolio,  and  said :  "  I  have 
brought  a  most  curious  note  that  I  received 
to-day  from  Francis  Rakenius  of  Frankfort- 
on-the-Main.  He  is  visiting  his  relatives 
there  for  a  few  days,  before  starting  for 
East  Africa.  You  know  that  he  is  a  faithful 
Protestant,  the  son  of  a  pastor,  and  belongs 
to  a  very  pious  family.  His  grandfather 
was  school  superintendent,  his  uncle  was 
the  celebrated  professor  of  canonical  law  at 
Halle,  and  the  opinion  of  such  a  family 
concerning  our  status  seems  to  me  of  some 
value." 

302 


THE  PATRIARCH 


He  had  spoken  in  a  low  voice  while  un- 
folding the  letter.  Then  he  looked  at  the 
assembled  company.  Interest  and  expect- 
ancy were  depicted  on  the  faces  of  all.  They 
knew  that  years  ago,  during  the  first  semes- 
ters of  their  college  life,  an  intimacy  had 
existed  between  Rosenfeld  and  Rakenius. 
They  had  attended  the  same  lectures,  pre- 
pared for  the  same  examinations,  and  re- 
ceived their  degree  of  doctor  of  philosophy 
on  the  same  day.  Rakenius  then  went  to 
Halle  to  continue  his  special  study  of  the- 
ology, and  Rosenfeld  remained  in  Berlin. 
Even  as  a  student  Rosenfeld  had  been  much 
interested  in  the  various  schemes  to  improve 
the  shameful  conditions  which  a  continually 
increasing  anti-Semitism  had  brought  about. 
He  attended  meetings,  joined  various  so- 
cieties, at  one  time  was  a  Zionist,  and  finally 
accepted  with  enthusiasm  the  idea  of  pro- 
viding places  of  refuge  for  the  persecuted 
Jews  by  the  foundation  of  agricultural  col- 
onies in  Palestine.  No  one  knew  whether 

303 


THE  PATRIARCH 


he  harbored  greater  ideas ;  but  at  all  events, 
he  changed  his  views  and  he  gathered  about 
him  a  considerable  following,  not  only  from 
among  the  poor,  downtrodden  sons  of  the 
Orient,  who,  while  studying  in  Berlin,  suf- 
fered hunger  and  torment  and  the  scorn  and 
contempt  of  their  Aryan  fellow-students,  but 
also  from  among  the  young  men  of  the  most 
prominent,  wealthy,  and  respectable  families. 
There  was  something  winning  in  Rosen- 
feld's  nature.  Everyone  who  came  in  con- 
tact with  him  was  devoted  to  him.  His  very 
appearance,  which  suggested  endless  sweet- 
ness despite  the  strength  of  his  physique, 
won  him  immediate  sympathy.  And  his 
appearance  did  not  belie  his  disposition, — 
honest,  simple,  and  modest.  But  one  felt 
that  his  amiable  manners  concealed  the 
energy  and  the  fearlessness  of  a  true  dema- 
gogue, and,  if  need  be,  he  would  give 
clear,  vigorous,  and  absolutely  truthful  ex- 
pression to  his  convictions.  Of  late  he  had 
become  entirely  occupied  with  questions  con- 

304 


THE  PATRIARCH 


cerning  the  Jews.  All  political  and  social 
events  he  interpreted  only  in  their  bearing 
upon  what  was  dearest  to  his  heart.  In 
this  way  he  had  obtained  a  strong  influence 
over  his  companions,  and  he  became  their 
leader.  Hugo  Benas,  Eric  Magnus,  and 
Siegfried  Sternberg  were  devotedly  attached 
to  him;  and  they  formed  a  circle  within 
their  circle,  which  zealously  served  the  gen- 
eral interest.  At  meetings  they  were 
the  spokesmen,  peculiarly  fitted  by  education 
and  circumstances,  for  each  one  of  them, 
by  birth,  wealth,  and  station,  could  have  laid 
claim  to  and  achieved  a  good  social  position, 
such  as  is  ordinarily  open  to  young  physi- 
cians, lawyers,  and  scholars.  Yet  they  had 
but  one  aim, — to  devote  themselves  to  the 
cause  of  their  unfortunate,  persecuted  race. 
And  they  spoke  of  nothing  else  whenever, 
as  on  the  present  occasion,  they  met  for 
confidential,  friendly  intercourse.  With 
some  impatience,  therefore,  they  awaited 
Rosenfeld's  communication. 
305 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Let  us  hear  what  Rakenius  writes,"  de- 
manded Sternberg.  Henry  read  aloud  to 
them : 

"  I  can  perfectly  understand  your  sense 
of  uneasiness,  and  I  sympathize  with  you. 
It  requires  a  degree  of  self-renunciation  that 
cannot  be  expected,  and  in  my  view  should 
never  be  demanded,  of  men  with  proud  na- 
tures, men  of  intellect  and  spirit,  men  of 
marked  individuality,  to  suffer  what  is  put 
upon  the  Jews.  Yet  such  is  the  situation, 
and  whether  it  is  justified  or  not,  is  a  point 
upon  which  at  this  time  I  do  not  care  to  ex- 
press an  opinion.  You  know  how  truly  de- 
voted I  always  have  been  and  still  am  to  you. 
I  have  never  had  a  better  friend,  a  dearer 
companion  than  you.  Our  friendship  was 
secured  by  our  agreement  on  the  philosophic 
questions  that  used  to  occupy  us,  by  the 
similarity  of  our  views  in  regard  to  things 
in  general,  and  by  our  wholly  concordant 
attitude  toward  the  various  problems  of 
social  life.  I  need  give  you  no  further  as- 

306 


THE  PATRIARCH 


surances  in  regard  to  that;  and  whether  I 
separate  the  personal  from  the  more  gen- 
eral view,  I  am  unable  to  say. 

"  Ever  since  you  wrote  that  the  Jewish 
question  occupies  you  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  else,  I  have  been  concerning  myself  with 
it.  In  fact  it  is  an  insistent  issue.  It  forces 
itself  upon  me  in  my  profession,  in  the  world 
in  which  I  live.  You  know  that  I  am  de- 
voted, body  and  soul,  to  my  priestly  calling, 
and  my  attachment  grows  stronger  the  more 
I  steep  myself  in  the  spirit  of  the  Protestant 
doctrine.  How  it  is  to  be  deplored  that 
the  best  among  you  cannot  partake  of  its 
blessings;  for  whoever  has  had  the  fortune 
to  call  you  friend,  knows  how  to  value  you ; 
and  I  am  just  enough  to  recognize  that  there 
must  be  many  other  Jews  like  yourself.  But 
whether  it  is  that  you  cannot,  or  that  we  do 
not  wish  it,  the  result  remains  the  same; 
and  this  result  cannot  be  gainsaid.  A  few 
days  ago,  I  came  across  an  expression  of 
Feuerbach's,  which  perhaps  gives  an  ex- 
307 


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planation  of  the  reproach,  often  brought 
against  the  Jew,  of  pushing  aggressiveness. 
'  To  do  away  with  the  meaninglessness  of 
our  individual  existence,'  he  says,  '  is  the 
purpose  of  our  lives,  the  motive  of  our  enter- 
prises, the  source  of  our  virtues  as  of  our 
faults  and  shortcomings.  Man  has  and 
should  have  the  desire  to  be  individual.  He 
properly  desires  to  attain  significance,  to 
achieve  a  qualitative  value.  As  a  mere  in- 
dividual, he  is  lost  like  a  single  drop  of 
water,  indistinguishable  in  the  wearisome 
stream  of  a  meaningless  aggregate.  If  a 
person  loses  the  interests  that  express  his 
individuality,  if  he  becomes  conscious  of 
the  insignificance  of  his  bare  personality, 
he  loses  the  distinction  between  existence 
and  non-existence,  life  becomes  loathsome, 
and  he  ends  it  in  suicide;  that  is,  he  anni- 
hilates his  non-entity.  It  is  natural  that 
this  striving  for  individual  distinction  comes 
out  most  clearly  in  a  class  of  society  socially 
subordinated,  as  a  foreign  race  or  a  religious 
308 


THE  PATRIARCH 


sect,  subject  to  the  persecution  of  the  ma- 
jority. Everybody  wishes  to  stand  for 
something;  and  to  this  end  grasps  at  the 
best  means  to  secure  position  or  distinction 
in  the  domain  of  science.  It  is  on  this 
account  that  the  Jews  form  so  large  a 
contingent  to  the  student  class,  and  they  do 
not  shrink  from  mediocrity,  the  consequence 
of  a  lack  of  talent.' 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Rosenfeld,  if  each  of  you 
could  only  carry  Feuerbach's  analysis  with 
you  and  let  it  plead  for  you  on  your  way 
through  life!  But  even  then  the  world 
would  cry  out  with  Conrad  Bolz :  '  It  is  an 
excuse,  but  not  a  good  one ; '  and  above 
all,  we  do  not  wish  to  accept  it.  For  it  in- 
terferes with  us,  it  restricts  us.  We  do  not 
wish  to  grant  so  large  a  field  to  others  for 
the  development  of  their  individuality,  we 
need  the  room  ourselves.  The  result  would 
be  that  the  aliens  would  have  to  renounce 
the  development  of  their  individuality,  their 
striving  for  the  distinctiveness  that  raises 
309 


THE  PATRIARCH 


them  above  the  level  of  general  mediocrity. 
To  this  you  would  not  submit;  why  should 
you?  There  is  so  much  talent,  so  much 
spirit,  so  much  vigor  among  your  co-reli- 
gionists. It  would  be  suicide  committed  by 
individuals  of  your  race,  if  they  passively 
submitted  to  absorption  by  the  mass,  in- 
stead of  saving  themselves  for  the  welfare 
of  their  own  people. 

"  Whether  this  end  can  be  attained,  I  can- 
not judge.  It  may  be  difficult!  Exceed- 
ingly difficult!  But  at  one  time  there  was 
One  among  you  who  accomplished  the  most 
difficult  of  all  things — the  salvation  of  the 
world. 

"  If  this  scheme  should  prove  impracti- 
cable, then  I  can  see  only  one  solution: 
Acknowledge  yourselves  as  disciples  of  Him 
who  went  forth  from  your  midst.  Your 
best,  your  greatest,  your  most  distinguished 
men  would  have  to  take  the  lead.  Genera- 
tions may  pass  before  the  traces  are  wiped 
out,  before  the  recruits  are  recognized  as 

310 


THE  PATRIARCH 


veterans;  but  time  will  bring  maturity.  If 
ever  you  should  think  otherwise  than  you 
do  now,  then  come  to  me.  ..." 

"  That  is  pure  proselytizing,"  Sternberg 
burst  forth. 

"  You  do  not  know  Rakenius,"  answered 
Rosenfeld,  sadly.  "  It  merely  shows  how 
the  very  best,  the  most  unprejudiced,  and  the 
clearest  minds  among  them  think." 

"And  I  cannot  say  that  I  find  the  letter 
remarkably  unprejudiced,"  said  Hugo,  im- 
patiently. 

"  But  that's  the  way  they  think  and  feel. 
It  crops  out  even  in  those  that  are  anxious 
to  understand  our  peculiarities.  Rakenius 
never  gave  me  the  least  occasion  to  mistrust 
him.  He  was  the  one  who  made  the  ap- 
proaches in  our  friendship,  because,  as  is 
natural,  we  are  always  the  ones  to  hold 
back  for  fear  of  being  misunderstood,  of 
being  considered  aggressive.  What  he 
writes  is  his  honest  conviction.  They  know 
no  other  solution  for  our  difficulty.  But  his 

311 


THE  PATRIARCH 


letter  has  shown  me  anew  that  at  least  he 
tries  to  understand  the  other  man." 

"  It  is  always  the  same  story ;  even  our 
defenders  are  our  accusers,"  said  Magnus, 
sadly. 

"  While  on  the  one  hand  Feuerbach  shows 
our  course  to  be  justifiable,  he  on  the  other 
hand  admits  our  inferiority,  our  mediocrity." 

"  Among  the  masses." 

"  But  the  masses  among  the  others  do  not 
study  at  all,  and  so  we  come  back  to  the 
same  point.  Despite  mediocrity  and  weak- 
ness we  push  forward ;  and  that  is  just  what 
as  aliens  is  not  our  right." 

After  further  discussion  of  the  topic, 
Magnus  and  Sternberg  left.  Henry  and 
Hugo  were  alone.  Occupied,  each  with  his 
own  thoughts,  they  remained  in  silence  for 
some  moments.  Then  Hugo  asked  his 
friend  with  concern  in  his  voice :  "  Are  you 
tired?" 

"  O  no,  just  a  bit  unstrung." 

312 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  May  I  speak  to  you  of  another  matter 
this  evening?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  I  am  uneasy  about  Dr.  Weilen's  intru- 
sion in  our  family  circle.  What  does  he 
want?  What  does  his  interest  mean,  his 
familiarity?  He  comes  often,  as  if  he  be- 
longed here,  like  a  cousin, — and  they  like 
him.  All  of  them — except  myself.  And 
I'm  afraid — afraid  for  Rita !  " 

Henry  turned  white,  he  bit  his  lips,  rested 
his  head  on  his  hand,  and  did  not  answer. 

"  What  do  you  think,  Henry  ?  You  know 
my  sister  well.  During  the  lessons  in  phi- 
losophy that  you  give  her,  you  surely  have 
an  opportunity  to  probe  the  girl's  soul. 
What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Who  dares  say  he  knows  another's 
soul, — especially  that  of  such  a  sensitive  na- 
ture as  Rita  ?  "  he  responded  hesitatingly. 
"  But  do  you  know,  Hugo,  I  am  more  tired 
than  I  thought  I  was;  I  think  I'd  better 
go." 

313 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"Shall  I  go  with  you?" 

"  No,  I  thank  you.  It  is  late,  and  there 
is  no  reason  for  your  going  out  into  the 
cold." 

"  Well,  then,  until  to-morrow." 

"  Good-night,  Hugo." 

He  went  slowly  down  the  stairs.  The 
corridors  were  still  brilliantly  lighted.  As 
he  reached  the  hall  of  the  main  floor,  a  ser- 
vant was  holding  the  door  open  for  Dr. 
Weilen. 

"  O,  good  evening,  Dr.  Rosenfeld,"  he 
greeted  him  good-humoredly. 

"  Good  evening,  Dr.  Weilen." 

"  Hospitality  seems  to  be  exercised  on  all 
the  floors  of  this  house.  You  have  just  been 
with  Hugo  ?  " 

He  nodded  in  answer,  and  the  two  men 
left  the  house  together. 


It  was   about  eleven   o'clock   when   Dr. 
Rosenfeld  left  his  friend,   and   Hugo  was 
314 


THE  PATRIARCH 


surprised  when  scarcely  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
later,  some  one  rapped  at  his  door.  Elkish, 
the  old  clerk  of  the  firm  of  Joshua  Benas, 
stepped  in.  His  bachelor  dwelling  was  in 
a  wing  of  the  house.  Here  his  unmarried 
sister  kept  house  for  him  according  to  the 
strictest  Jewish  observances.  Certain  privi- 
leges were  extended  to  him  as  the  confidant 
of  the  family.  The  assured  devotion  of  the 
whimsical  old  man  was  the  excuse  for  al- 
lowing him  to  do  as  he  wished.  In  business 
he  was  all  conscientiousness,  faithfulness, 
and  capability.  The  younger  clerks  knew 
that  their  weal  or  their  woe  lay  in  his 
hands,  for  the  Geheimrat  took  no  step  in 
business  matters  without  Elkish's  advice. 
He  therefore  imagined  he  had  a  right  to 
concern  himself  about  family  matters  as 
well,  and  he  was  good-naturedly  allowed 
his  way.  The  Benases  were  confident  that 
he  held  the  welfare  of  their  house  dearer 
than  his  own,  and  though  it  was  not  always 
possible  to  yield  to  his  peculiar  wishes,  his 
315 


THE  PATRIARCH 


interference  was  tolerated  without  great 
opposition.  Jewish  homes  often  harbor  such 
characters,  to  whom  loyalty  gives  privi- 
leges justified  by  long  service,  though  their 
manners  are  not  in  harmony  with  the  pres- 
ent order  of  things.  Even  in  the  old  days  in 
Lissa,  Elkish  had  been  a  confidant  of  Benas 
senior;  and  this  had  endeared  him  to  the 
son,  and  later  to  the  children  of  the  third 
generation.  To  Rita  and  Hugo  he  used 
the  language  of  the  most  familiar  inter- 
course, and  both  of  them  felt  a  peculiar 
attachment  to  him.  As  children  they  had 
spent  many  an  hour  daily  in  his  rooms. 
He  and  his  sister  were  most  ingenious  in 
preparing  surprises  and  pleasures  for  them, 
and  it  was  there  that  they  had  learnt  to 
know  the  charm  of  the  old  Jewish  life. 
The  services  of  the  coming  in  and  the 
going  out  of  the  Sabbath,  of  the  Seder 
evenings,  and  of  the  high  festivals,  were 
strictly  observed.  A  lost  world  was  thus 
brought  back  to  the  bright  and  eager  chil- 
316 


THE  PATRIARCH 


dren.  In  their  parents'  home  the  old  life 
was  shown  sacred  respect,  but  without  ad- 
herence to  ceremonies.  In  Rita  the  cere- 
monies appealed  to  the  imagination,  in  Hugo 
to  the  intellect.  To  the  girl  the  peculiar 
customs  had  been  sources  of  pleasure,  but 
to  Hugo  of  earnest  reflection.  Rita  had 
frolicked  and  laughed  when  Uncle  Elkish 
on  such  occasions  went  through  the  conse- 
crated forms  with  solemnity  and  dignity; 
Hugo,  even  as  a  boy,  had  experienced  a  feel- 
ing of  awe  for  the  noble  past  from  which 
these  customs  came.  So  the  children  had 
lived  in  two  worlds.  Their  parents'  house- 
hold was  entirely  "  modern."  While  Rita 
and  Hugo  were  quite  young  children  they 
had  discarded — as  many  others  of  the  Jew- 
ish faith  had  done  at  the  same  time — the 
observances  that  differentiated  them  from 
those  of  other  faiths.  When,  however,  the 
time  came  which  forced  them  back  upon 
their  own  resources,  the  son  and  daughter, 
now  grown  up,  did  not  find  the  changed 

317 


THE  PATRIARCH 


circumstances  as  strange  as  they  would 
have,  had  they  not  come  under  Elkish's 
influence.  They  appreciated  why  sacrifices 
were  demanded,  and  why  they  should  not 
desert  from  the  ranks  of  a  religion  whose 
principles,  founded  in  a  glorious  past,  form- 
ed the  bond  that  held  the  race  together 
though  scattered  through  all  countries. 
Elkish's  importance  thus  increased  in  their 
eyes.  Hadn't  he  been  right  in  holding 
aloof  from  the  stranger?  As  a  result,  he 
did  not  feel  the  repulses  under  which  they 
suffered  so  intensely.  Hugo  was  particularly 
affected,  because  as  a  student,  soldier,  and 
lawyer,  he  was  brought  in  constant  contact 
with  a  Jew-hating  world,  and  exposed  to 
continual  mortifications  and  secret  and  open 
attacks.  All  this  embittered  him;  and  he 
drew  closer  than  ever  to  the  old  man,  who 
was  inspired  alike  with  great  hate  for  the 
oppressor  and  with  zeal  for  the  faith.  And 
so  Hugo  greeted  his  visitor  with  sincere 
pleasure. 

318 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"Why  so  late,  Elkish?"  he  called  to 
him  cheerily.  "  What  brings  you  here  ? 
Pity  you  did  not  come  sooner.  You  should 
have  heard  Dr.  Rosenfeld  this  evening;  it 
would  have  warmed  the  cockles  of  your 
heart." 

"  My  heart  in  this  old  body  cries  and 
laments.  Hugo,  what  will  it  all  come  to? 
I'll  never  laugh  again,  Hugo,  never.  With 
Tzores  I  shall  go  to  the  grave." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  Elkish  ? 
Before  that  happens,  you  still  have  a  lot  to 
do ;  and  you  really  would  have  been  pleased 
to  see  our  friends  here  this  evening — Dr. 
Rosenfeld,  Dr.  Magnus,  and  Sternberg." 

"  What  do  I  care  about  doctors  and 
lawyers  when,  God  forbid,  danger  threatens 
us?" 

"What  danger?" 

"  Are  you  blind,  Hugoleben,  and  deaf  ? 

Don't  you  want  to  see  and  hear,  or  don't 

you  really  see  and  hear  ?     On  this  floor,  you 

form  Jewish  societies,  you  and  your  friends. 

319 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Rosenfeld  talks,  and  Sternberg  scolds,  and 
the  '  Olive  Branch  '  hopes,  and  you  think, — 
but  you  don't  think  of  what's  nearest  to 
you,  of  what  is  going  on  below.  Day  after 
day  that  Posheh  Yisroel,  the  aristocratic 
Herr  Regierungsrat,  comes  and  makes  him- 
self agreeable,  and  poses  as  being  one  of  the 
Mishpocheh  and  Chavrusseh,  and  Rita  is 
there,  my  Ritaleben,  and  listens  to  the 
Chochmes  and  the  brilliant  conversation, 
and  gazes  at  the  handsome,  noble  gentle- 
man ....  and  ....  and  .  .  .  ." 

"  But,  Elkish,  don't  get  excited.  What's 
gotten  into  your  head?  Papa  and  mamma 
are  there,  and  I,  too,  and  very  often  the  other 
relatives." 

"  Just  because  of  that !  I  am  not  afraid 
that  he  will  seduce  her  the  way  a  Baal-Mil- 
chomoh  seduces  a  Shicksel.  Such  a  thing, 
thank  God,  does  not  happen  with  us  Jews. 
But  he  will  lead  her  astray  with  his  fine 
thoughts  and  noble  manners,  and  his  great 
position,  and  heaven  knows  what  else,  and  he 

32v) 


THE  PATRIARCH 


will  make  her  forsake  her  religion,  become 
an  apostate  as  he  himself  is." 

Hugo,  himself  suspicious  of  the  friendly 
intercourse  growing  up  between  Dr.  Weilen 
and  his  own  family,  was  alarmed  at  the  old 
man's  outburst. 

"  You  see  things  too  sombrely,  Elkish. 
There  have  always  been  people  of  high  posi- 
tion, even  Christians,  that  have  visited  us." 

"  Those  were  original  Goyim,  dyed  in  the 
wool,  not  such  as  he,  and  not  related,  God 
forgive  me  that  I  must  admit  it.  And  when 
they  came,  it  was  for  the  good  dinners,  and 
the  fine  champagne  direct  from  France.  I 
ought  to  know,  for  I  paid  the  bills.  Those  real 
Cognacs,  and  the  cigars  with  fancy  bands ! 
A  small  matter!  Herr  Geheimrat  can  well 
afford  it.  Why  object?  We  merely  shrug 
our  shoulders — and  despise  them.  When 
they  came  and  made  genuflexions,  and  were 
never  too  tired  to  find  us,  then  they  wanted 
money — much  money — for  charity,  and  for 
monuments,  and  for  foundations,  and  for 

321 


THE  PATRIARCH 


all  sorts  of  things — even  for  churches.  Why 
not  ?  The  Jew  has  always  been  good  enough 
for  that.  I  never  dissuaded  your  father 
from  such  gifts.  He  still  takes  my  advice 
occasionally ;  and  when  he  says,  '  I  am  well 
advised,  Elkish,'  then  he  merely  means, 
'  What  is  your  opinion  of  the  matter, 
Elkish  ? '  And  I  have  always  thought, 
there  is  no  harm  in  giving,  and  surely  not 
in  taking.  And  when  those  other  fellows, 
the  artists,  came  and  told  your  mother  of 
their  paintings  and  their  busts,  and  invited 
her  to  their  studios;  and  made  music  to  the 
tune  of  one  thousand  marks  an  evening,  and 
some  concert  tickets  besides,  I  never  pro- 
tested, but  I  did  some  thinking,  and  I  won- 
dered what  Mr.  Mendel  Benas  of  Lissa 
would  have  said,  had  he  seen  where  our 
good  money  goes  to.  But  we've  grown  so 
great,  why  should  wre  not  give?  The  time 
came  when  they  paid  us  back  more  than  we 
need.  That's  all  right.  Perhaps  not  for  the 
individual,  for  he  grieved,  like  your  father 

322 


THE  PATRIARCH 


or  like  Friedheim  or  Freudenthal,  or  all  the 
great  folk  among  the  Jews ;  but  it  was  good 
for  the  rest.  The  Christians  began  to  think 
that  they  have  a  right  to  be  considered,  and 
we  began  to  feel  we  were  what  we  are — 
Jews." 

When  Elkish  flew  into  a  passion,  it  was 
not  so  easy  to  calm  him.  Hugo  therefore 
did  not  interrupt  his  harangue,  a  mixture 
of  indignation,  scorn,  and  disappointment. 
With  most  of  it  he  himself  agreed,  and  even 
though  he  viewed  events  from  a  more  mod- 
ern standpoint,  yet  at  bottom  he  held  the 
same  opinions  as  the  embittered  old  man. 
It  did  not  seem  strange  to  Hugo  that  Elkish 
had  dropped  into  his  native  jargon,  for  the 
sake  of  emphasis.  He  always  did  so  when 
excited. 

"  And  therefore  I  always  said,"  he  con- 
tinued, after  a  short  pause,  "  '  Mr.  Benas,' 
I  said,  '  as  you  like.'  But  now  I  do  not  say 
'  as  you  like.'  For  this  fellow  wants  not 
323 


THE  PATRIARCH 


only  our  money,  but  our  child,  too, — our 
darling  Rita." 

His  voice  turned  hoarse,  and  the  last 
words  sounded  like  a  plaint. 

"Elkish!" 

"  Yes,  yes,  Hugo,  that's  what  it  is !  Why 
did  he  never  come  before  ?  He  has  been  in 
Berlin  a  long  time,  and  he's  always  known 
who  Joshua  Benas  was,  and  in  what  rela- 
tion he  stood  to  him." 

"  But  a  special  occasion  brought  him  to 
us,  Uncle  Leopold's  birthday — " 

"  Nonsense !  That  is  a  pretext !  He  had 
to  say  something.  He  had  it  all  planned. 
He  'wishes  to  celebrate  Reb  Lobl's  birthday ! 
Os'er!  -not  a  word  of  truth." 

"  There  was  no  necessity  for  an  excuse 
to  visit  us ;  he  knew  quite  well  that  my  par- 
ents would  have  received  him,  even  if  he 
had  only  said  that  he  wished  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  his  mother's  relatives." 

"  But  the  other  story  sounds  better,  more 
romantic.  That  attracts  a  young  girl  like 
324 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Rita.  You  may  believe  me,  Hugo.  I  know 
her.  She  has  not  said  a  word  about  him, 
and  she  goes  about  as  if  in  a  dream.  She 
used  to  tell  Rosalie  and  me  about  every- 
thing, about  Jedlitzka,  with  whom  she  plays, 
about  Skarbina,  with  whom  she  paints, 
about  the  theatre  and  the  concerts,  and  the 
lessons  in  philosophy  with  Rosenfeld,  and 
whether  '  Olive  Branch  '  dances  better  than 
Cohnheim  of  Bellevue  Street.  My  sister 
and  myself  got  all  our  entertainment  through 
her,  on  Shabbes  afternoons,  when  she  came 
to  us,  just  as  when  she  was  a  little  girl.  But 
she's  never  spoken  a  word  about  him,  not  a 
syllable;  as  if  he  did  not  exist.  And  yet 
he  comes  every  afternoon  to  tea,  and  even- 
ings, and  noon ;  and  they  meet  at  the  Opera 
House,  by  chance,  of  course,  and  by  chance, 
too,  in  the  skating  rink,  on  the  Rousseau 
Island.  Mile.  Tallieu  is  always  present, 
and  she  told  my  nephew  Redlich,  who  studies 
French  with  her.  She  even  told  it  to  him 
in  French." 

325 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Hugo  listened  thoughtfully. 

"  But,  my  dear  Elkish,  there  is  nothing 
to  be  done  about  it.  Papa  and  mamma  have 
begged  me  expressly  to  treat  him  with  the 
utmost  courtesy,  even  though  I  found  it  hard 
from  the  very  beginning.  So  I  withdraw 
as  far  as  possible  when  he  comes;  because 
it  goes  without  saying  that  a  man  of  his 
station  must  be  met  with  consideration. 
There  really  is  something  very  simple  and 
engaging  about  him." 

''  There  you  have  it,  there  you  have  it !  " 
wailed  Elkish.  "  It  would  be  much  better 
if  you  did  not  withdraw,  but  remained,  and 
took  care  that  she  did  not  fall  in  love." 

"  It  wouldn't  do  any  good." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Do  you  believe,  Elkish,  that  a  girl  like 
Rita  becomes  enamored  of  externals?  Be- 
cause some  one  pays  her  compliments,  or 
casts  languishing  looks  at  her,  which  the 
presence  of  a  third  person  might  hinder  ?  " 
326 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Well,  then,  with  what  do  girls  fall  in 
love?" 

"  They  fall  in  love  with  the  personality 
of  a  man;  with  his  spiritual  nature  and  his 
appearance,  when  the  two  are  united  in  a 
congenial  individuality — in  a  man  who  ap- 
peals to  or  supplements  their  own  character, 
or  charms  them." 

"  I  do  not  understand  such  stuff,  Hugo. 
Thank  God,  I  am  not  meshugge.  But  it  is 
enough  to  make  you  crazy  to  think  that  a 
good  Jewish  girl  cannot  be  kept  from  falling 
in  love  with  a  Posheh  Yisroel.  I  always  ad- 
vised your  father  to  arrange  the  match  with 
Reinbach  of  Mannheim.  If  he  had  followed 
my  advice,  she  would  have  been  married 
long  ago ;  and  I  am  curious,  very  curious,  to 
know  whether  in  such  circumstances  it  would 
have  occurred  to  the  Regierungsrat  to  wish 
to  celebrate  the  birthday  of  Reb  Lob  Fried- 
lander." 

"  But  Rita  did  not  care  for  young  Rein- 
bach;  and  I  am  sure  no  one  can  blame  her. 

327 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Such  an  arrogant  upstart,  without  any 
ideals." 

"  There  are  some  with  ideals  and  some 
without.  Reinbach  is  so  rich  that  I  cannot 
see  why  he  needs  ideals." 

"  Well,  to  be  sure,  Elkish,  he  cannot  buy 
them.  But  we  need  not  complain  of  our 
financial  position,  either,  and  yet  we  are 
moved  by  ideals  in  our  demands  and  hopes. 
Or  look  at  Magnus.  His  father  is  a  mil- 
lionaire, and  yet  he  thinks  of  nothing  but 
the  fulfilment  of  our  plans.  And  look  at 
Sternberg,  and  Rosenfeld,  and  myself,  and 
others  who  might  pass  their  lives  seeking 
pleasures  of  all  kinds,  instead  of  worrying 
over  the  sorrows  of  our  nation.  And  here 
comes  a  South  German  dandy,  a  man  about 
town  &  la  mode  de  Paris,  a  Jew,  the  type 
that  is  now  being  persecuted  and  maligned 
as  never  before,  and  whenever  we  come  to 
the  subject  that  absorbs  us  all  so  much,  he 
curtly  remarks,  '  Judaism  is  a  misfortune.' ' 

"  That  is  a  phrase,  nothing  more." 

328 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  It  seems  to  me  this  is  not  the  time  for 
empty  phrases,"  he  answered  gloomily. 
'  The  man  that  uses  them,  and  uses  them 
with  such  an  air  of  superiority,  is  a  fool. 
And  that  Rita  should  not  accept  such  a  fel- 
low, you  should  find  quite  proper." 

"  I  perfer  a  Jewish  fool  to  a  baptized 
philosopher." 

"  There  are  also  Jewish  philosophers." 
Henry's  fine,  pale  face  suddenly  came  to  his 
mind.  He  arose  and  paced  up  and  down 
the  room  lost  in  thought.  Then  he  said : 

"  It  is  very  late,  Elkish." 

"A  Jewish  philosopher,  however,  is  no 
good  match,"  he  persevered. 

"  Rita  must  decide  that,  not  we.  So  let 
us  go  to  bed  now." 

"  But,  Hugo,  you  must  promise  me  one 
thing.  Be  on  your  guard, — be  on  your 
guard." 

He  shook  the  old  clerk's  hand :  "  Rest 
easy,  Elkish.  I  share  your  fears,  and  also 
your  dislikes." 

329 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  I  knew  it.  That's  why  I  came  to  you. 
Good  night,  Hugo,  with  God's  help  all  will 
come  out  right." 

"  Let  us  hope  so." 

When  the  door  had  closed  upon  the  old 
man,  Hugo  fetched  a  deep  sigh.  It  occurred 
to  him  how  suddenly  and  apparently  for 
no  reason  Rosenfeld  had  left,  when  the 
conversation  had  turned  upon  Dr.  Weilen's 
intercourse  with  his  family. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  he,  too.  ..."  He 
stared  fixedly  into  the  burning  embers  for 
some  time  before  he  put  out  his  lamp,  and 
went  to  sleep. 


It  was  the  first  of  January.  Rita  sat  read- 
ing in  the  small,  cozy  drawing-room.  A 
bright  wood  fire  crackled  upon  the  hearth,  lit 
for  cheer  only ;  for  the  house  was  well  heated 
otherwise.  Rita  could  not  bear  a  cold  and 
desolate  fire-place,  especially  on  a  day  like 
this,  when  the  cold  out  of  doors  was  severe. 

330 


THE  PATRIARCH 


On  such  days  only  a  flood  of  light  and 
warmth  could  bring  comfort  indoors.  It 
was  hardly  four  o'clock,  but  the  lamps  were 
lit,  and  the  electric  light,  shaded  by  bright 
bell-shaped  glass  globes,  produced  a  pleas- 
ant effect 

Through  the  windows  draped  with  costly 
lace  curtains  the  waning  daylight  peeped 
and  the  flurries  of  large  snow-flakes.  Rita 
put  her  book  aside,  and  gazed  thoughtfully 
at  the  falling  snow.  How  beautiful  the 
flakes  were! — the  white  floating  crystals, 
that  played  at  tag,  and  chased  each  other, 
and  then  fell  so  silently  and  so  calmly.  The 
snug  comfort  of  a  warm  room  was  pecu- 
liarly attractive  in  contrast  to  the  scene  out- 
side. Suddenly  she  thought  of  those  who 
might  be  out  in  the  cold.  She  glanced  at 
the  clock;  it  was  almost  four  o'clock. 
"  Mother  must  be  just  arriving  now,"  she 
said  to  herself. 

"  I  hope  the  snowdrifts  will  not  cause 
331 


THE  PATRIARCH 


delays."  She  looked  worried  and  arose  to 
go  to  the  window. 

At  this  moment  a  rap  came  at  the  door, 
and  the  servant  handed  her  a  card,  and  an- 
nounced Dr.  Weilen. 

"  Ask  him  in." 

And  then  he  stood  before  her,  and  grasp- 
ed her  hand,  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 

"  May  I  personally  repeat  the  good  wishes 
I  sent  in  writing  this  morning?  " 

Early  in  the  day  he  had  sent  beautiful 
flowers  with  the  compliments  of  the  season. 

"  That  is  very  kind  of  you,"  she  answered, 
trying  to  overcome  a  slight  embarrassment. 
"  I  am  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  to  re- 
turn your  kind  wishes  and  to  thank  you. 
But  you  must  be  satisfied  with  my  company 
to-day.  Yesterday  my  mother  decided  to 
take  a  short  journey  on  which  she  started 
this  morning,  and  my  father  and  my  brother 
are  not  likely  to  return  until  dinner  time,  at 
six  o'clock. 

He  gazed  at  her  without  speaking,  and 

332 


THE  PATRIARCH 


the  delicate  blush  that  suffused  her  face 
assured  him  that  his  unspoken  answer  was 
understood. 

She  knew  that  he  longed  to  be  alone  with 
her,  and  she  also  knew  that  it  was  for  her 
sake  that  he  came  as  often  as  the  conventions 
of  polite  society  allowed.  Since  he  had  first 
appeared  among  them,  several  weeks  ago, 
he  had  called  repeatedly,  and  it  was  obvious 
that  he  felt  at  home  with  them.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Benas  enjoyed  his  company.  With 
the  ease  of  the  man  of  the  world,  and  with 
his  confiding  manner  he  had  readily  made 
a  place  for  himself.  Without  overstepping 
the  barriers  that  his  long  estrangement  from 
his  family  had  unconsciously  raised,  he  was 
able  to  assume  a  happy  mean  between  the 
'position  of  a  guest  and  that  of  a  relative. 
Rita,  too,  he  had  been  able  to  win  over  to 
his  side.  She  liked  to  see  him,  such  as  he 
was,  partly  as  one  of  them,  and  partly  as 
the  formal  guest.  He  had  overcome  her 
shyness  to  such  an  extent  that  she  accepted 
333 


THE  PATRIARCH 


him,  now  as  a  cousin  and  again  as  a  visitor. 
It  lent  an  especial  charm  to  their  intercourse, 
this  mingling  of  intimacy  and  formality.  It 
attracted  him,  and  even  more  captivated  her. 
On  his  arrival  it  was  always  the  Govern- 
ment official  whom  she  greeted;  but  when 
she  became  interested  in  the  conversation, 
following  his  lead,  she  called  him  cousin.  It 
was  a  source  of  unending  delight  to  him, 
when,  carried  away  by  the  excitement  of  the 
conversation,  she,  of  her  own  accord,  called 
him  cousin. 

"  To  what  happy  circumstances  do  I  owe 
the  pleasure  of  finding  you  alone  on  this 
New  Year's  Day,  so  that  I  may  express  to 
you  my  sincere,  heartfelt  wishes  for  your 
happiness,  my  dear,  dear  Rita  ?  " 

She  sat  down  at  the  hearth  again,  and 
he  placed  himself  opposite.  He  looked  at  her 
face  which,  brightened  by  the  reflections 
from  the  hearth-fire,  and  illuminated  by  her 
inner  excitement,  seemed  particularly  charm- 
ing. 

334 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Mamma  left  this  morning  for  Rawitsch, 
to  visit  Uncle  Leopold ;  and  papa  and  Hugo 
are  visiting  Uncle  Friedheim  who  has  been 
unwell  for  several  days." 

He  looked  at  her  in  astonishment,  then 
he  smiled  knowingly.  "  Your  mother  has 
gone  to  Rawitsch,  to  Uncle  Leopold?  So 
unexpectedly?  She  mentioned  nothing  of 
her  intention  on  the  day  before  Christmas, 
when  I  was  here,  although  we  spoke  even 
more  than  usual  about  Uncle  Leopold  and 
his  birthday." 

"  Mother  decided  only  yesterday, — there 
were  several  things  she  wished  to.  ...  She 
believed.  .  .  ."  She  tried  in  vain  to  con- 
ceal her  hesitation. 

"  In  this  cold  and  stormy  weather  ?  It 
must  have  been  quite  an  important  matter." 

"  O,  not  at  all,  Dr.  Weilen."  Her  em- 
barrassment grew.  "  Mamma  has  had  the 
intention  of  going  for  some  time,  and  the 
snow  came  only  after  her  departure.  Papa 
and  myself  accompanied  her  to  the  station, 
335 


THE  PATRIARCH 


and  I  am  sure  that  nowadays  one  travels 
comfortably  and  agreeably.  The  coupe  was 
well-heated,  and  mamma  and  her  maid  had 
it  all  to  themselves.  So  few  people  travel 
on  the  holidays.  I  should  have  loved  to 
go  with  her,  and  by  this  time  she  is  already 
at  her  destination.  The  train  arrives  there 
at  3.28." 

At  first  she  spoke  with  uncertainty,  as  if 
searching  for  an  unequivocal  purpose  for 
this  trip;  then  her  utterance  became  faster 
and  faster;  at  the  last  words  she  looked 
at  the  clock  on  the  mantel.  A  shepherd  and 
shepherdess  of  old  Dresden  china,  looking 
at  each  other  tenderly,  held  the  dial  between 
them. 

"  Yes,  at  3.28,"  she  repeated. 

"  Rita !  "  he  caught  her  hand  and  held  it 
firmly.  "  Your  mother  has  taken  this  trip 
in  order  to  plead  for  me.  She  has  granted 
my  wish!  Quite  as  a  diplomatic  ambassa- 
dor! She  wished  to  intercede  for  me  per- 
sonally, to  be  my  spokesman,  to  brush  aside 
33(i 


THE  PATRIARCH 


scruples  and  prejudices;  to  place  the  strange 
and  unexpected  in  a  proper  light;  to  ex- 
press her  conviction  that  this  desire  of  mine 
is  not  a  whim,  but  a  pious  longing  that  has 
lain  dormant  in  a  secret  corner  of  my  heart. 
All  this  she  is  going  to  put  forward  in  my 
behalf.  The  confidence  that  all  have  in  her 
she  will  use  in  my  favor.  She  is  going  to 
say  to  them :  '  From  frequent  intercourse 
with  Victor  Weilen,  the  son  of  our  aunt 
Goldine,  who  died  at  an  early  age,  your 
youngest  sister,  Uncle  Leopold,  the  sister 
of  my  mother, — from  frequent  intercourse 
with  him  we  have  the  impression  that  honest 
feeling  leads  him  to  us ;  that  the  secret  voice 
of  blood-relationship  called  him,  when  he 
discovered  that  one  of  the  family,  the  one 
whose  quiet  piety,  whose  honest  belief  make 
him  appear  doubly  worthy  of  honor  to  those 
whom  life  has  driven  away  from  their  na- 
tive soil,  had  attained  his  ninetieth  birthday, 
and  like  a  patriarch  was  going  to  gather  his 
337 


THE  PATRIARCH 


own  about  him.  And  on  this  occasion  Vic- 
tor Weilen,  too,  wishes  to  be  present.' ' 

She  looked  at  him  in  timid  bewilderment. 
She  had  slowly  disengaged  her  hand  from 
his. 

"  O  yes !  But  mamma  also  found  it 
necessary  to  supervise  the  arrangements  for 
the  celebration  personally.  There  will  be  so 
many  people  to  come  to  the  small  town.  Our 
relatives  there  are,  of  course,  helpless;  they 
are  not  used  to  such  matters.  Arrangements 
will  have  to  be  made  in  advance  for  the 
housing  and  entertainment  of  the  guests 
....  you  see,  it  is  a  special  festival  that 
is  to  be  celebrated." 

"  Do  you  wish  to  rob  me  of  the  delight  of 
my  interpretation,  Miss  Rita?  "  There  was 
a  pained  expression  in  his  voice.  "  All  that 
might  have  been  done  by  correspondence, 
but  your  kind  mother  in  person  had  to  jus- 
tify and  advocate  the  wish  of  a  stranger  to 
be  one  of  the  guests,  a  stranger,  yet  one  of 
their  own  blood.  For  this  the  winter's 
338 


THE  PATRIARCH 


journey,  to-day,  on  New  Year's  Day,  which 
people  like  to  celebrate  together  at  home. 
Am  I  right,  Rita  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  simply. 

It  seemed  impossible  to  her  to  plead  fur- 
ther excuses  after  he  had  discovered  the 
honest  truth. 

Neither  spoke  for  some  time.  He  gazed 
at  her  bowed  head.  The  silence  was 
eloquent  of  inner  sympathy  between  them. 
The  intense  quiet  of  the  room  was  disturbed 
only  by  the  crackling  of  the  wood  fire.  It 
cast  red,  quivering  reflections  across  the 
light  carpet  covering  the  floor,  and  glanced 
brightly  adown  the  girl's  dress. 

After  a  few  moments  during  which  they 
were  sunk  in  thought,  he  said :  "  I  know 
your  mother  will  succeed  in  realizing  my 
wish.  She  is  a  good  spokesman.  And  I 
will  be  near  you  on  that  day,  Rita — near 
you!" 

And  as  though  unable  any  longer  to  con- 
trol his  tumultuous  feelings  he  jumped  up, 
339 


THE  PATRIARCH 


took  her  in  his  arms,  and  whispered  softly  in 
her  ears,'  "  My  Rita !  " 

She  rested  upon  his  bosom,  as  if  stunned, 
quivering  with  blissful  joy.  The  uncertainty 
and  misgiving  that  had  troubled  her  heart 
throughout  these  many  weeks  was  now  con- 
verted into  a  happy  reality.  He  loved  her! 
He!  He  raised  her  bowed  head  and  read 
the  confession  of  her  love  in  the  eyes  that 
looked  at  him  in  pure  radiance.  Deep  emo- 
tion took  possession  of  him.  She  loved  him 
with  the  love  that  springs  up  in  the  sweet, 
secret  longings,  in  the  pure  maidenly  fervor, 
in  the  rare,  modest  timidity  of  the  daughters 
of  that  people  from  which  he  had  at  one 
time  turned  away. 

As  if  his  thoughts  had  been  transferred  to 
her,  she  slowly  disengaged  herself  from  his 
arms,  hid  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  relieved 
the  oppression  of  her  soul  in  tears.  He  led 
her  back  to  the  place  from  which  he  had  so 
impetuously  drawn  her,  seated  her,  then 
kneeled  before  her,  and  embraced  her  softly, 
340 


THE  PATRIARCH 


tenderly.  "  Rita,  dear  sweet  Rita,  my 
precious  child.  Why  do  you  cry?  What 
makes  you  sad  ?  What  frightens  you  ?  " 

"  Happiness." 

He  drew  her  to  him  again  passionately, 
and  said :  "  You  shall  learn  to  know  this 
happiness  in  all  its  joy.  It  will  exalt  you, 
not  sadden  you." 

"  You  forget  what  separates  us,"  she 
stammered,  suddenly  alarmed,  and  tried  to 
free  herself  from  his  arms. 

He  started  violently.  Then  he  threw  his 
head  back  with  a  proud,  victorious  gesture, 
and,  caressing  her,  he  said  in  a  firm  voice: 
"  That  which  separated  us,  draws  us  to- 
gether, my  love,  my  sweet  love !  "  She 
clung  to  his  neck,  and  without  resistance 
she  gave  herself  up  to  his  kisses. 


At  dinner,  Rita,  to  conceal  from  her 
father  and  Hugo  the  cause  of  her  quiet  and 
reserve,  pleaded  a  headache.  She  merely 

341 


THE  PATRIARCH 


mentioned  the  visit  of  Dr.  Weilen;  he  had 
come  to  pay  his  New  Year's  call.  Hugo 
looked  at  her  so  searchingly  that  she  blushed, 
and  turned  away  from  his  gaze. 

"  Did  you  explain  to  him  that  we  no 
longer  keep  open  house,  since  we  have 
plainly  been  given  to  understand  that  we, 
citizens  of  a  lower  estate,  have  no  right  to 
and  no  part  in  the  holidays  of  the  others  ?  " 
Deep  resentment  lay  in  his  words. 

She  looked  at  him  as  though  her  thoughts 
were  of  another  world,  while  her  father  said 
in  irritation :  "  Can't  you  grant  us  a  mo- 
ment's respite  from  your  indignation  and 
your  scorn?  You  display  your  malice  at 
every  opportunity.  It  is  really  ridiculous 
for  you  to  ask  Rita  whether  she  met  the 
politeness  of  a  visitor  with  such  an  unpleas- 
ant reception." 

Rita  cast  a  grateful  glance  at  her  father; 
her  eyes  shone  with  the  brightness  of  sup- 
pressed tears. 

"  It  is  enough  that  we  conduct  ourselves 
342 


THE  PATRIARCH 


as  our  injured  pride  demands,  but  always  to 
throw  it  up  to  others  is  improper  and  stupid. 
I  tell  you  those  were  pleasanter  and  happier 
times  when  we  used  to  celebrate  the  New 
Year's  eve  with  a  ball,  and  then  the  next 
morning  received  congratulations,  and  in 
the  evening,  instead  of  sitting  sadly  alone 
as  we  three  are,  there  was  a  gathering  of 
gay  friends  for  a  dinner." 

"  They  may  have  been  gayer  times,"  said 
Hugo,  nettled,  "  more  amusing,  too,  and 
more  comfortable,  but  they  were  only  tran- 
sient. They  were  in  a  condescending  mood, 
and  because  of  an  amiable  caprice  on  their 
part  we  were  allowed  to  celebrate  their  feast 
days  with  them,  and  to  take  part,  humbly, 
in  certain  civic  and  public  holidays.  But 
religion,  despite  all,  raised  an  impassable 
wall  between  us  and  them.  We  were  allowed 
to  enjoy  pageants,  illuminations,  parades, 
patriotic  celebrations  of  all  kinds,  and  then 
Christmas  and  New  Year,  when  you're 
called  upon  to  give  in  charity.  How  toler- 
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ant!  O,  how  liberal!  O,  how  I  hate  that 
word.  Sufferance  I  call  it.  Sufferance !  To 
be  tolerated !  You're  kindly  tolerated,  partly 
as  a  participant,  partly  as  an  observer.  And 
you're  perfectly  aware  that  you  may  be 
pushed  aside  at  any  moment  when  found  de 
trop  or  too  forward.  It  surely  is  a  thousand 
times  better  to  be  as  we  are  now;  without 
the  loud  gayety  of  people  to  whom  at  bot- 
tom we  are  strange,  and  must  always  remain 
so.  I  remember,  during  my  upper  class 
days,  the  last  formal  New  Year's  dinner  at 
this  house,  how  Herr  von  Knesebeck  pro- 
posed a  toast  to  the  Emperor  coupled  with 
the  toast  for  the  New  Year.  And  how 
jovially  and  with  what  amiable  condescen- 
sion the  attorney-general,  Herr  von  Ucker- 
marck,  proposed  a  toast  to  mother.  What 
an  honor !  And  the  way  in  which  you  wel- 
comed the  guests,  the  honored  friends  of 
the  house — strangers  then,  to-day,  and  for- 
ever! What  led  them  to  us  was  not  our 
company,  but  the  choice  pleasures  and  the 

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agreeable  times  our  money  afforded.  And 
to-day  they  dispense  with  all  that.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  get  the  best  of  them  to  come 
to  us  now;  but  the  best  of  us  are  those  who 
gratefully  reject  the  honor." 

His  father  was  visibly  annoyed,  and  Rita 
looked  anxiously  at  her  brother,  who  seemed 
particularly  harsh  and  relentless.  If  he  sus- 
pected !  A  dread  possessed  her,  and  pallor 
overspread  her  face.  The  dinner  passed  off 
in  no  very  pleasant  mood.  The  three  missed 
the  conciliating  gentleness  of  the  mother, 
who  shared  the  son's  views  without  his  ran- 
cor, and  who  had  opened  her  husband's  eyes 
to  the  altered  social  conditions,  while  yet 
appreciating  and  sympathizing  with  his  re- 
gret over  the  sad  changes. 

Everyone  was  glad  to  have  the  meal  over. 
Rita  excused  herself  at  once.  Hugo  and 
his  father  could  find  no  congenial  topic  for 
conversation ;  and  so  the  first  day  of  the  new 
year  drew  to  an  unhappy  end. 
*  *  * 

345 


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The  next  morning  Rita  received  a  letter. 
She  was  at  breakfast  with  Mile.  Tallieu 
and  could  with  difficulty  conceal  the  excite- 
ment into  which  the  reception  of  the  letter 
had  thrown  her.  Fortunately  her  com- 
panion was  absorbed  in  the  "  Figaro,"  and 
paid  no  attention  to  Rita,  who  was  thus  able 
to  hide  the  letter  in  her  pocket  without  its 
being  noticed. 

"  De  mamanf  "  she  asked,  without  look- 
ing up  from  her  journal. 

"  Ceqal "  Rita  answered  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Oh!  ce  pauvre  Henry  ....  pauvre! 
II  est  mort  ....  mon  dieu!  Quel  malheur 
pour  ma  grande  patrie  ....  cette  canaille 
de  D  .  .  .  .  C'est  vraiment  ....  cette 
blamage  irreparable." 

Rita  arose.  She  was  accustomed  to  hear 
Mile.  Tallieu  grow  enthusiastic,  one  day 
over  Zola's  " J'  accuse''  and  the  next  day 
equally  so  for  /'  armee.  One  of  the  uncul- 
tured or  rather  half-cultured,  she  was 
swayed  by  the  force  of  pathos,  arid  was  ever 

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of  the  opinion  of  others,  if  they  were  forcibly 
expressed. 

At  all  events  Mademoiselle  was  at  this 
moment  fully  occupied  and  well  provided. 
There  was  an  abundance  of  sliced  meat  on 
the  table,  plenty  of  marmalade,  and  other 
good  things;  the  tea-pot  was  bubbling;  and 
Rita  could  hope  to  remain  undisturbed  for 
a  long  time.  She  stepped  into  her  mother's 
room,  and,  with  a  timid  glance  at  the  "family 
tree,"  she  sat  down  to  read  her  letter.  Her 
heart  was  beating  violently,  and  the  sheets 
rustled  in  her  trembling  hands.  Several 
minutes  passed  before  she  could  gain  suffi- 
cient self-possession  to  look  at  the  writing. 
The  words  swam  before  her  sight: 

"  My  dear,  precious  girl,  my  Rita,  my 
bride !  This  word  fills  me  with  delight,  and 
I  know  it  awakens  an  echo  in  your  heart; 
you  say  it  softly  to  yourself,  and  you  are 
filled  with  bride-like  thoughts,  thoughts  that 
belong  to  me.  Whatever  might  interfere 
with  the  union  of  our  hearts  from  without, 

347 


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within  us  reigns  love,  joy,  hope.  I  know 
I  want  to  win  and  possess  you,  and  I  know 
you  are  willing  to  belong  to  me. 

"  Need  I  beg  your  pardon  for  giving  in 
to  the  impulsive  joy  of  my  heart,  to  the  vio- 
lent longing  of  my  soul,  for  not  waiting  to 
sue  for  you  soberly  and  sensibly,  as  is  proper 
for  a  man  so  much  older  than  you  are, 
but  stormed  you  with  a  youth's  love  of  con- 
quest, throwing  prudence  to  the  winds,  and 
scorning  careful  consideration  ?  I  was  young 
again  when  I  saw  you  before  me  yesterday 
in  the  sweet  loveliness  of  your  youth,  and 
I  shall  be  young  so  long  as  your  love  remains 
the  fountain  of  youth  in  my  soul. 

"  Do  you  want  to  know  how  it  came 
about?  I  might  answer  you,  'Do  not  ask, 
be  sensible  only  of  the  strong,  exulting  love 
that  arose  within  us  as  a  marvellous,  convin- 
cing, dominant  fact,  as  a  law  of  nature.' 
But  I  see  your  earnest,  wise  eyes,  which  in 
the  past  weeks  have  rested  searchingly  upon 
me  so  often, — I  see  them  before  me  in  all 
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their  sincerity,  their  sweetness,  their  purity; 
and  it  seems  to  me  that  I  must  explain  to  the 
little  interrogator  all  about  myself  and 
how  it  happened. 

"  You  know,  my  love,  how  I  was  left 
alone  in  the  world  at  an  early  age.  Without 
father  or  mother,  having  no  connections  or 
relatives — quite  orphaned;  but  healthy,  full 
of  vigor,  happy  and  independent  in  every 
way.  And  all  at  an  age  in  which  one  is  in 
need  of  love,  in  need  of  wise  guidance,  of 
intimate  intercourse  with  congenial  spirits 
and  the  home  feeling  of  a  large  family,  the 
feeling  inborn  in  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
our  race,  because  it  is  their  only  home.  But 
I  was  quite  homeless!  With  the  fearless 
courage  of  youth  I  decided  to  found  a  home 
for  myself.  It  was  not  difficult  for  me ;  my 
independence,  my  large  income,  and  per- 
haps, too,  my  personal  abilities,  admitted  me 
to  the  best  society.  At  the  University, 
among  my  fellow-students,  in  the  homes  of 
my  teachers,  I  was  considered,  and  I  felt 

349 


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myself  to  be  as  one  of  them.  Nothing  stood 
between  us,  nothing  tangible,  nothing  out- 
spoken. Neither  my  external  appearance, 
nor  my  interests  distinguished  me  from 
them, — so  entirely  had  I  become  a  part  of 
their  world.  There  never  came  a  word  from 
the  other  world  within  to  recall  me  to  my 
true  self.  I  knew  nothing  of  my  former  life ; 
no  recollection  flitted  through  my  mind,  be- 
cause nothing  happened  to  awaken  me;  and 
the  soft  voices  that  may  have  made  them- 
selves heard  occasionally  in  the  early  years, 
were  entirely  quieted  as  the  new  life  at- 
tracted me  and  seemed  to  wipe  out  the  past. 
I  had  entirely  forgotten  at  that  time  to  what 
faith  I  belonged,  and  my  friends  surely 
never  thought  of  it.  One  of  them  especially 
attracted  me.  He  was  two  years  older  than 
myself — a  talented  and  refined  man.  Like 
myself  he  was  alone  in  the  world  and  in- 
dependent. That  was  the  circumstance  that 
led  us  to  a  sincere  friendship.  He  was  a 
devout  Catholic,  and  after  my  examinations 
350 


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we  journeyed  together  to  Rome.  There,  un- 
der the  overpowering  impressions  of  his 
art-inspiring  belief,  we  were  drawn  still 
closer  together.  Finally  the  wish  was  born 
in  me  to  share  with  him  the  faith  that  was 
the  basis  of  his  inner  life,  and  which  he,  I 
know  not  whether  consciously  or  uncon- 
sciously, had  nurtured  in  me,  and  had 
brought  to  fruitage. 

"  Think  of  it,  my  wise,  good  girl,  how 
young  I  was  then,  how  enthusiastic,  how 
entirely  I  had  dedicated  myself  to  friendship, 
and  how  easy  it  was  for  me  to  succumb  to 
the  magic  and  mystery  of  a  cult  whose  splen- 
dors and  associations,  there  in  Rome  itself, 
possessed  us  heart  and  soul.  Think  of  it 
and  you  will  understand  me.  The  reasons 
that  brought  me  to  the  momentous  decision 
were  not  of  a  practical  kind.  I  took  the 
step  in  a  state  of  ecstatic  excitement  and  ro- 
mantic enthusiasm.  I  had  nothing  to  for- 
sake, for  I  possessed  nothing  that  had  to 
be  sacrificed  for  the  new  faith — neither 
351 


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father,  nor  mother,  nor  family, — nothing 
except  my  own  self,  and  that  belonged  to 
the  forces  that  were  then  mightiest  in 
me :  friendship  and  imagination.  The  recol- 
lection of  an  incident  of  those  days  comes 
to  me  with  such  remarkable  clearness  that 
I  will  tell  you  of  it.  It  was  the  only  thing 
that  reminded  me  of  my  youth,  passed  under 
such  wholly  unlike  circumstances.  A  few 
days  after  the  fateful  step  we  were  in  the 
galleries  of  the  Vatican.  I  had  again  be- 
come entranced  by  the  glories  of  Raphael. 
Suddenly  my  eye  was  caught  by  a  portrait 
in  an  adjoining  corridor.  It  was  the  tall, 
lean  figure  of  a  man  who  was  resting  his 
head  in  his  hand,  and  looked  up  thought- 
fully from  an  open  book  lying  before  him. 
In  the  deeply  furrowed  countenance  a  medi- 
tative, mild  seriousness.  Eyes  expressing 
endless  goodness.  A  questioning  look  in 
them,  questioning  about  the  thousand  riddles 
of  the  universe.  The  hand  resting  upon  the 
book  was  especially  remarkable.  It  spoke  a 
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language  of  its  own.  Its  lines  and  shape 
expressed  tenderness,  gentleness,  kindness, 
as  if  it  could  dispense  only  blessings. 

"  I  was  spell-bound,  and  could  not  tear 
myself  away  from  the  picture.  There  was 
something  familiar  in  it,  as  if  it  were  a  greet- 
ing, a  reminder  from  my  youth.  Suddenly 
the  thing  was  clear  to  me.  This  man,  whose 
characteristic  features  unmistakably  showed 
him  to  be  an  old  Jew  looking  up  from  his 
Talmud,  and  pondering  its  enigmatic  wis- 
dom, reminded  me  of  my  uncle  Leopold 
Friedlander.  In  a  flash  the  whole  scene 
came  before  me:  how  he  pored  over  his 
Talmud  when,  led  by  my  mother,  I  came 
before  him  with  childlike  awe;  and  how  he 
looked  up  from  his  volume  and  regarded  me 
so  kindly,  so  meditatively,  exactly  like  the 
man  before  me  in  the  picture.  And  while 
I  reeled  off  what  I  knew  of  Hebrew  lore, 
he  leaned  his  head  upon  his  left  hand,  and 
his  right  was  placed  on  his  book;  then  he 
raised  his  hand  and  laid  it  in  blessing  upon 
353 


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my  head,  and  the  tender  lips  spoke  the  He- 
brew words  of  the  benediction.  It  seemed 
to  me  as  if  I  heard  again  the  soft,  insistent 
voice;  and  as  if  the  high-vaulted  corridors 
of  the  Vatican  were  transformed  into  the 
low,  simple  room  of  the  Jew's  house  at 
Rawitsch.  I  was  as  one  in  a  dream.  It 
made  a  strong  impression  upon  me.  Like 
one  possessed  I  gazed  at  the  picture,  and  I 
believe  my  lips  mumbled  half-aloud  '  Yevo- 
rechecho  Adonay  ve-yishmerecho.'  Never 
since  that  day  have  the  words  left  my  mem- 
ory. They  remain  like  a  faint  echo  in  my 
soul.  Suddenly  I  felt  a  hand  upon  my  shoul- 
der. '  A  fine  picture,  is  it  not, '  said  Francis 
to  me,  '  this  Hebrew  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury? I  believe  he  was  a  Portuguese  Jew, 
who  was  exiled  to  some  Italian  Ghetto,  to 
Trastevere  or  the  Ghetto  Vecchio  of  Venice. 
Somewhere  or  other  the  artist  came  upon 
this  fine,  characteristic  head,  whose  portrait 
places  him  amongst  the  immortals,  although 
his  very  name  is  uncertain.  He  belongs  to 

354 


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the  Florentine  school,  possibly  a  pupil  of  Del 
Sarto.  The  realistic  expression  of  the  hand 
suggests  Master  Andrea  himself;  or  it  may 
have  been  Pontormo,  or  Puligo;  at  all 
events,  a  masterly  painter.'  While  my 
friend  gave  these  explanations,  I  had  time 
to  recover  myself,  but  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  I  threw  off  the  spell  of  my  imagination. 
So  it  was  a  Portuguese  Rabbi  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  not  my  uncle  Leopold !  And 
yet  he  ....  I  knew  it  positively.  Perhaps 
there  was  a  talisman  bequeathed  from  one  to 
the  other  that  made  these  Talmudic  scholars 
of  all  times  so  much  alike;  or  was  it  the 
Law,  to  which  they  devoted  themselves  with 
like  zeal  ?  Or  the  similarity  of  their  attitude 
toward  life  ?  Or  the  tradition  that  remained 
unaltered  through  the  centuries  ?  When  we 
left  the  Vatican  soon  after  I  could  not  dis- 
miss the  thought  that  my  uncle  Leopold 
Friedlander  had  a  place  among  the  portraits 
of  the  Vatican  Gallery. 

'  Years  passed.     The  incidents  of  those 
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days  had  long  been  forgotten.  I  was  drawn 
into  the  great  and  mighty  currents  of  life. 
I  enjoyed  it  to  the  full.  After  the  comple- 
tion of  my  examinations  for  the  assessor- 
ship,  my  friends  at  Bonn  advised  me  to  enter 
the  service  of  the  Government.  There  was 
nothing  to  prevent  me,  and  the  position 
offered  me  was  quite  to  my  liking,  and 
satisfied  the  ambitions  then  mastering  me. 
With  the  death  of  Francis  Siebert  a  great 
void  had  come  into  my  life;  he  had  died  of 
typhoid  fever  on  a  journey  of  investigation. 
In  the  stormy  come  and  go  of  life,  in  the 
restless  haste  of  existence,  such  things  hap- 
pen daily;  and  although  painfully  shocked 
by  his  death,  I  continued  my  way.  It  came 
at  a  time  in  my  life  when  I  was  battling  with 
a  great  inner  struggle  that  made  me  wholly 
self-centered.  I  prefer  not  to  speak  of  this 
to  you,  at  least  not  to-day.  But  one  thing  I 
may  tell  you,  the  experience  did  not  make 
me  unworthy  of  you.  Conflict  and  suffering 
do  not  degrade  a  man,  and  whatever  fails 
356 


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to  overcome  us,  makes  us  all  the  stronger. 
But  I  became  more  and  more  lonely,  and  I 
fell  into  the  habit  of  thinking  that  it  was 
my  lot  in  life  to  be  lonely.  I  tried  to  be 
content  alone.  It  seemed  the  easier  for  me 
since  my  career  was  a  happy  one  and  gave 
me  contentment ;  and  so  did  the  kind  of  life 
it  brought  with  it.  I  resigned  myself  to  re- 
maining a  bachelor.  So  much  of  the  mar- 
ried life  of  my  friends  as  had  come  under 
my  observation  did  not  make  me  regret 
that  I  had  renounced  it.  My  calling,  my 
books,  my  journeys,  gave  me  sufficient  satis- 
faction. I  avoided  social  gatherings  as  far 
as  my  position  allowed  me  to.  In  this  way, 
time  passed  in  work  and  recreation,  and  the 
even  tenor  of  my  days  brought  me  comfort 
and  satisfaction.  There  were  many  hours 
in  which  this  exclusiveness  seemed  very 
pleasant  to  me;  and  the  longing  for  inti- 
mate fellowship  with  others  grew  ever 
weaker. 

"  Then,  a  few  weeks  ago,  I  happened  upon 
357 


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the  notice  of  Rabbi  Friedlander's  ninetieth 
birthday.  The  rest  you  know.  What  you 
do  not  know,  is  that  on  my  desk,  where  I 
had  found  the  journal  containing  the  notice, 
I  seemed  suddenly  to  see  the  portrait  of  the 
Vatican  before  me;  and  an  unaccountable 
association  of  ideas  made  me  see  myself 
standing  before  it,  not  as  I  was  in  Rome, 
but  as  a  small  boy  before  the  old  man,  whom 
I  thought  I  had  found  anew  in  the  portrait — 
in  the  presence  of  the  devout,  kindly  man, 
as  he  sat  poring  over  his  book  in  his  humble 
room.  And  then  I  heard  the  words  of  the 
blessing  again — I  felt  them  in  my  heart,  the 
heart  of  an  experienced,  mature  man, — and 
all  in  the  language  of  my  childhood,  the 
language  of  the  childhood  of  my  race.  And 
suddenly  the  world  vanished  from  before 
me,  the  modern  world  that  claimed  me,  and 
the  old  arose  in  the  clear  light  of  holy  recol- 
lections. Father,  mother,  the  whole  family 
came  back  to  life  within  me !  Then  I  sought 
358 


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your  family,  sought  you !  And  how  I  found 
all  of  you — how  I  found  you — 

'  The  subtle  charm  of  true  family  happi- 
ness, the  aristocratic  security  of  a  settled 
life,  entranced  me,  mingled  though  they 
were  with  secret  anguish  over  the  unjust, 
the  foolish  prejudices  under  which  the  Jew- 
ish community  suffers.  Such  depth  of  feel- 
ing underlies  the  splendor  of  your  life. 
There  is  something  so  cheerful,  so  intimate 
among  you.  On  the  very  first  evening  I  felt 
at  home  with  you.  Your  wise,  able  father, 
your  noble,  sensitive  mother,  your  brother 
with  his  splendid  vindictiveness,  and  his 
proud  ideals,  all  interested  me  as  something 
new,  strange,  and  yet  familiar. 

"  I  had  never  known  a  Jewish  home  of 
refinement  and  respectability ;  I  did  not  rea- 
lize how  such  home-life  had  developed  in 
spite  of  the  unfriendliness  and  the  slights 
that  beset  it,  and  in  the  midst  of  hostility 
that  seeks  its  very  destruction.  Your  friends 
are  of  the  same  admirable  type.  The  men 
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serious,  capable,  intellectually  distinguished, 
and  prominent  in  their  various  callings;  the 
women  bright,  artistically  gifted,  beautiful; 
the  young  people  ambitious,  well-educated, 
impressionable,  enthusiastic.  So  I  learned 
to  know  you  and  your  kin, — my  kin.  May 
many  be  like  you,  I  say  to  myself.  Among 
the  Jews  are  all  too  many  who  under  op- 
pression and  necessity  cannot  develop.  But 
how  could  it  be  otherwise?  By  the  side  of 
the  few,  one  always  finds  the  masses ;  by  the 
side  of  the  elect,  the  average. 

"  And  now  you,  my  girl,  my  precious 
Rita,  you  have  seen  how  your  sweet  dis- 
position has  influenced  me,  how  it  awakened 
within  me  new  and  happy  feelings,  how  my 
very  soul  goes  out  in  longing  to  you.  I 
have  regained  my  youth,  and  it  calls  to  me 
exultantly :  '  Return  to  your  own !  ' 

"  These  are  my  confessions.  It  does  me 
a  world  of  good  to  be  allowed  to  speak  to 
you  in  this  way ;  and  now  you  will  compre- 
hend why  it  was  that  I  could  not  restrain 
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myself,  but  had  to  take  you  in  my  arms,  in 
the  happy  assurance  that  you  were  willing 
to  be  mine. 

"  Have  courage !  I  will  never  give  you 
up,  and  we  shall  surmount  all  the  difficulties 
they  may  put  in  our  way.  I  shall  see  you 
again  when  your  mother  returns,  and  I  may 
be  allowed  to  come.  Have  faith  in  me! 

Victor." 

Tears  streamed  down  Rita's  face.  He 
had  laid  bare  his  soul  to  her.  She  remained 
for  a  long  time  lost  in  thought,  considering 
what  had  best  be  done.  She  did  not  conceal 
from  herself  that  her  marriage  with  Dr. 
Weilen  would  encounter  strong  opposition; 
that  disquiet,  excitement,  and  heartache 
would  enter  into  her  peaceful  home  when 
the  relation  between  her  and  Victor  was 
known.  Her  father's  opposition  would  be 
the  easiest  to  overcome,  but  her  mother's? 
And  Hugo's?  And  Elkish's?  And  the  rest 
of  the  relatives?  And  herself?  Was  there 

361 


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no  inward  protest  against  what  she  was 
about  to  do  ?  Now  in  these  saddest  of  times, 
to  tear  herself  away  from  those  who  suffered 
and  struggled? 

An  inexpressible  fear  possessed  her.  If 
only  her  mother  were  back  at  home!  Dis- 
quieting thoughts  again  besieged  her.  How 
happy  she  might  have  been,  to  love  a  man 
like  Dr.  Weilen,  to  be  loved  by  him!  And 
now  alarm  in  her  hopes,  doubt  in  her  wishes. 
She  arose  slowly  and  went  to  her  room, 
and  locked  the  letter  in  her  desk. 


On  the  fourth  of  January  Mrs.  Benas  re- 
turned. She  was  in  good  spirits,  and  she 
had  found  her  uncle  hale  and  hearty.  Her 
relatives  in  the  little  town  were  already 
excited  over  the  coming  event,  and  busy 
planning  and  preparing  for  it.  This  year 
Pesach  came  early.  The  birthday,  accord- 
ing to  Jewish  reckoning,  was  on  the  twenty- 
sixth  day  of  March,  the  first  day  of  the  fes- 
362 


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tival.  She  told  them  that  in  Rawitsch  all 
arrangements  had  been  made  for  a  celebra- 
tion on  a  grand  scale.  Whatever  could  not 
be  obtained  at  Rawitsch  was  to  be  ordered 
from  Berlin.  Arrangements  were  all  the 
more  complicated  because  of  the  Passover 
observances ;  but  not  one  of  the  peculiar  cus- 
toms was  to  be  slighted;  everything  was  to 
go  on  as  usual  on  this  holiday.  The  great 
number  of  the  family  who  would  be  present 
necessitated  especial  provision  for  the  Seder 
evening  celebration  and  the  days  succeed- 
ing. It  was  a  mere  question  of  expense,  and 
that  need  not  be  considered.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  was  a  pleasant  feature,  that  the  un- 
usual event  would  take  place  amid  unusual 
circumstances,  and  instead  of  bread  and 
cake  and  the  every-day  dishes,  unleavened 
bread  would  be  eaten.  The  distinctive  festi- 
val, as  it  has  survived  in  unchanged  form, 
but  added  glamour  to  the  ninetieth  birthday 
celebration  of  Uncle  Leopold. 

The  family  were  gathered  at  their  evening 

363 


THE  PATRIARCH 


meal  when  Mrs.  Benas  reported  on  her  trip. 
With  happy  eagerness  she  told  of  her  visit, 
how  she  found  everyone,  and  what  were 
their  plans. 

"  But,  Fanny,  dearest,"  teased  her  hus- 
band, "  do  you  realize  that  you  are  to  feed 
sixty  people  on  Matzoth,  and  for  two  entire 
days !  Because,  you  know,  no  one  may  leave 
before  the  evening  of  the  second  day  of  the 
holiday." 

"  Everything  has  been  taken  into  consid- 
eration," she  answered  good-humoredly. 
"  Do  not  worry,  Joshua,  you  won't  go  hun- 
gry, and  neither  will  the  others.  All  kinds 
of  nice  things,  even  the  finest  pastry  can  be 
made  out  of  Matzoth  and  Matzoth  meal — 
cakes  and  tarts,  and  dipped  Matzoth  and 
Chrimsel,  the  specialties  of  the  season,  and 
the  rest  of  the  delicacies.  You're  no  scorner 
of  the  good  things  of  life,  and  you  will 
enjoy  eating  these  dishes  again." 

"  I'll  enjoy  the  indigestion,  too,  I  warrant. 
But  you're  right,  dearest,  those  fine  dishes 

364 


THE  PATRIARCH 


are  as  unforgettable  as  they  are  indigestible, 
and  I  am  quite  ready  to  risk  a  Karlsbad  Kur 
in  May,  in  order  to  eat  properly  in  March." 

"  It  will  not  be  so  bad  as  all  that.  We 
shall  be  careful  to  combine  the  prescribed 
with  the  palatable.  And  oh !  children,  it  will 
be  beautiful;  I  am  happy  about  it  now.  It 
will  be  an  occasion  on  which  I  shall  gladly 
show  what  and  who  we  are — we  Fried- 
landers." 

"  Now,  don't  forget  the  rest  of  us,"  her 
husband  bantered. 

"  The  rest  of  you  belong  to  us,  too,"  she 
answered  with  emphasis.  "  That's  just  what 
constitutes  the  greatness  and  the  strength  of 
the  Jewish  family — that  it  grasps  so  firmly 
whatever  is  attached  to  it.  You  cannot 
imagine  who  all  are  coming  to  this  celebra- 
tion in  Rawitsch.  Some  relatives  have  an- 
nounced their  coming  whose  names  you 
hardly  know,  in  addition  to  those  in  direct 
descent  from  Rabbi  Akiba.  They  are  de- 
scendants of  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  Rabbi 

365 


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Akiba.  Then  there  will  be  the  relations, 
grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren  of 
the  sisters  and  brothers  of  our  grandfather. 
From  the  letters  received  in  Rawitsch  they 
would  not  have  been  able  to  trace  these  re- 
lationships, if  Uncle  Leopold's  wonderful 
memory  had  not  helped  to  place  them.  It 
would  have  been  best  if  we  had  had  our 
'  family  tree  '  there  as  a  help  in  recalling 
them." 

Her  husband  was  much  amused  at  Mrs. 
Benas's  pride  and  zeal.  He  had  not  seen  her 
in  so  happy  a  frame  of  mind  since  a  long 
time.  When  she  was  telling  of  her  trip, 
he  felt  himself  transplanted  back  to  his 
youth.  He  saw  before  his  mind's  eye  the 
Seder  in  the  house  of  his  own  parents,  with 
the  consecration  and  devout  importance  at 
that  time  attached  to  the  various  customs. 
And  a  deep  emotion  stirred  this  man,  usually 
so  cool  and  skeptical. 

"  But,  tell  me,  I  should  really  like  to  know 
how  they  will  manage.  It  is  no  small  mat- 
366 


THE  PATRIARCH 


ter ;  for  instance,  at  the  Seder,  how  many  do 
you  expect?  " 

"  Well,  pay  attention,  Joe,  and  you  chil- 
dren, too,"  she  turned  to  Rita  and  Hugo, 
who  had  followed  her  report  with  interest. 
"  I'll  tell  you  the  whole  programme.  We 
expect  from  fifty  to  sixty  persons.  Of 
these  the  ten  or  fifteen  who  are  extremely 
orthodox  will  lodge  with  the  relatives  of 
Uncle  Leopold's  wife.  They  are  the  sons 
and  a  daughter  of  his  deceased  nephew. 
These  three  families  are  wealthy  and  keep 
a  strictly  orthodox  household,  as  do  most  in 
the  town.  So  the  pious  ones  can  be  com- 
fortably housed  there,  and  need  have  no 
fears  on  the  score  of  religious  observances. 
The  rest  will  be  lodged  in  the  comfortable 
inn  on  the  market  place.  I  looked  at  the 
rooms  there,  and  they  are  quite  possible, 
allowing  for  the  sort  of  place  Rawitsch  is." 

"  Well,  no  one  will  expect  to  be  provided 
with  the  accommodations  of  the  *  Kaiserhof  ' 
or  the  '  Palace  Hotel.'  " 

367 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Certainly  not,"  she  laughed,  "  but  there 
will  be  compensations.  And  now,  don't  in- 
terrupt again,  Joshua,  else  I  will  lose — " 

"  The  thread  of  the  strategical  plans  for 
the  invasion  of  Rawitsch !  " 

"  Joshua! "    She  assumed  an  injured  air. 

"  But,  my  dear  girl,  don't  you  see  how 
delighted  I  myself  am  with  all  this?  The 
most  serious  things  can  stand  a  bit  of  jok- 
ing; but  now  I'll  be  real  quiet,  as  well- 
behaved  as  Hugo  and  Rita,  and  all  good 
children  when  they  are  having  things  ex- 
plained to  them.  Well,  avanti" 

She  hesitated  an  imperceptible  moment, 
and  then  continued :  "  Some  of  the  most 
prominent  families,  among  others  the  presi- 
dent of  the  congregation,  offered  to  entertain 
some  of  the  guests.  In  an  unusual  case  like 
this  we  may  avail  ourselves  of  such  in- 
vitations. They  are  the  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances of  the  Friedlander  family;  and 
besides  the  whole  congregation  considers — " 
868 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  Khille  is  the  proper  term  in  this  case," 
he  laughingly  suggested. 

"Well,  then,  the  whole  Khille,  yes,  the 
whole  town,  considers  this  day  of  honor  to 
Uncle  Leopold  as  its  own." 

She  knew  that  much  depth  of  feeling  lay 
hidden  in  her  husband's  jests. 

'  These  outsiders,  too,  are  planning  to 
confer  especial  honors  upon  him.  At  all 
events,  the  freedom  of  the  city  will  be  ex- 
tended to  him,  for  his  philanthropy  em- 
braces all  without  distinction  of  religious  be- 
lief." 

'  Then  perhaps  it  might  be  appropriate 
for  us  to  found  '  The  Leopold  Friedlander 
Home  for  Widows  and  Orphans '  on  that 
day,  too  ?  " 

She  looked  at  him  gratefully,  and  reached 
her  hand  across  the  table  to  him.  He  had 
not  spoken  to  her  of  this  plan.  Obeying  a 
generous  impulse  suggested  by  her  words, 
he  proposed  it  as  something  self-evident. 
369 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  With  a  capital  of  about  one  hundred 
thousand  marks?" 

"  Joshua !  "  her  voice  trembled  with  deep 
excitement  Hugo  and  Rita  regarded  their 
father  in  astonishment. 

"  O  papa,"  the  girl  said  softly  in  grati- 
tude; while  Hugo  showed  the  pride  he  felt 
in  his  father,  who  had  decided  upon  the 
large  sum  without  hesitation,  and  then,  as 
if  it  were  a  mere  aside,  Mr.  Benas  con- 
tinued :  "  The  main  thing  is  to  assemble 
as  large  a  number  as  possible  in  Rawitsch, 
and  to  be  sure  that  in  respect  to  lodging 
everything  is  well  arranged.  Now  will  fol- 
low the  report  of  the  commissariat:  Mrs. 
Benas  has  the  floor." 

His  good  humor  infected  his  wife. 

"  Well,  in  regard  to  food.  I  shall  send  a 
capable  Jewish  cook,  who  knows  all  about 
keeping  kosher.  There  will  be  people  to 
help  her  in  Rawitsch.  A  new  table  service 
will  have  to  be  bought,-^that  I  attend  to, 

370 


THE  PATRIARCH 


here,  and  also  whatever  is  necessary  to  com- 
plete the  silver  service." 

"  You  will  provide,  then,  as  I  judge,  a 
complete  Passover  service  for  sixty  persons. 
And  what  is  to  become  of  all  of  it  after- 
wards?" 

"I  have  not  thought  of  that  yet.  But 
it  will  not  be  wasted." 

"  Suppose  each  one  were  to  receive  his 
own  service  to  take  home  as  a  souvenir?  " 

She  and  the  children  laughed  gayly. 

"  That  would  not  be  so  bad." 

"  And  for  us  quite  worth  the  while,  we 
should  return  with  four  new  sets  of  table 
service." 

With  an  expression  of  content,  he  glanced 
at  the  costly  silver  service  on  the  tea-table 
at  which  they  were  seated. 

"  That's  what  I  have  been  wishing  for  a 
long  time ;  and  if  we  are  fortunate,  we  may 
receive  a  soup  tureen  with  it." 

"  You're  a  tease,  Joshua.     Why  should 
there  not  be  souvenirs  of  the  day  ?  " 
371 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  But  not  exactly  silver  forks  and  knives. 
It  might  lead  to  sad  complications."  Then 
as  if  an  idea  had  suddenly  occurred  to  him, 
he  continued,  "  Do  you  know,  Fanny,  leave 
it  all  to  me.  What  would  you  think  if  I 
bought  so  beautiful  and  valuable  a  silver 
service  that  it  might  be  used  after  the  festival 
for  Rita's  future  household?  It  would  be 
fine  to  own  silver  dedicated  on  such  an 
occasion.  What  do  you  think  of  it,  Rita  ?  " 

At  her  father's  words  Rita  turned  pale. 
"  O  papa ! "  she  stammered.  She  felt 
Hugo's  eyes  staring  at  her,  and  the  blood 
rushed  back  to  her  cheeks. 

"  You  need  not  get  white  and  red  at  the 
idea.  The  silver  service  might  suggest  a 
groom,  but  no  one  forces  you  to  accept  him." 
He  was  amused  at  his  daughter's  confusion. 
"  At  all  events,  you  are  of  an  age  to  justify 
such  thoughts.  However,  I  am  quite  ready 
to  save  this  silver  treasure  for  you  in  my 
safe  just  as  long  as  you  want. 

"Joe,  if  you  don't  stop  joking,  we  shall 
372 


THE  PATRIARCH 


never  finish.  First  I  am  the  butt,  then  Rita. 
But  Rita,"  she  turned  to  her,  "  you  know 
your  father,  and  know  he  is  never  happier 
than  when  he's  teasing  us.  You  need  not 
feel  embarrassed  by  what  he  says.  But 
you  really  do  look  as  if  you  had  never  heard 
of  a  young  girl  of  twenty  marrying."  While 
her  mother  was  talking,  Rita  tried  to  regain 
her  self-possession. 

"  Mamma,  it  was  only  so  curious, — the 
ideas  that  papa  has — this  silver." 

"  Five  dozen ;  everything  necessary  for 
sixty  persons.  Quite  complete.  Renais- 
sance, rococo,  or  Empire  ....  perhaps  the 
English  style  pleases  you  better?  "  he  asked 
in  fun. 

"  Please,  Joshua,  do  let  the  poor  child 
alone.  I  should  really  like  to  consider  the 
matter  seriously." 

"  Well,  then,  to  be  quite  serious ;  the  ques- 
tion of  the  arrangements  for  the  table  is 
settled,  and  with  that  everything,  I  believe. 
You  attend  to  the  dishes ;  they  need  not  ex- 

373 


THE  PATRIARCH 


actly  be  Limoges  or  old  Vienna.  The  silver 
I  shall  see  about,  with  an  idea  to  future  use. 
I  have  no  doubt,  good  things  will  go  into 
the  dishes,  and  enough,  too.  At  such  family 
festivals  there  is  always  enough  and  to 
spare.  The  fish  and  fowl  of  the  region  are 
famous,  and  other  things,  too.  The  Matzoth 
will  be  baked  especially  for  us,  and  Gregoro- 
vius,  of  Unter  den  Linden,  shall  provide  the 
apples  for  the  Charoseth.  Everything  will 
be  excellently  arranged,  I  mean  it  seriously. 
And  I  am  looking  forward  to  the  festival 
with  much  pleasure.  Whatever  is  intrusted 
to  Fanny  Benas,  nee  Friedheim,  of  the 
family  of  Akiba  Friedlander,  can  only  be 
good  and  blessed." 

The  last  words  were  spoken  gravely,  with 
deep  feeling.  He  arose,  took  his  wife's  hand 
and  kissed  it. 

"  But  you  have  not  told  us  about  one 
thing — about  the  chief  reason  for  your 
going.  What  do  the  relatives  think  of  Dr. 
Weilen's  wish?" 

374 


THE  PATRIARCH 


The  children  awaited  their  mother's  an- 
swer in  breathless  expectation.  Hugo's  eyes 
were  fastened  with  sullen  looks  on  his 
mother's  lips;  Rita  looked  shy  and  anxious. 
It  seemed  to  her  as  though  her  heart  had 
stopped  beating,  and  a  choking  sensation 
caught  her  at  the  throat. 

"  I  am  decidedly  curious  to  know  what 
was  your  success." 

"  He  may  come !  " 

The  face  and  attitude  of  the  Geheimrat 
showed  decided  interest. 

"  Really  ?  How  interesting !  I  was  very 
doubtful  of  the  issue." 

But  Hugo  clenched  his  fist,  and  said  ve- 
hemently :  "  Impossible !  How  could  they 
consent?  He  will  spoil  the  holiness  of  the 
days.  What  does  he  want  there?  What 
does  he  wish  of  us  ?  A  stranger !  " 

Rita  started  at  her  brother's  words.     His 

harsh,  unfriendly  attitude  hurt  her;  but  she 

maintained  her  self-possession  through  the 

very    resentment    they    aroused;    she    sup- 

375 


THE  PATRIARCH 


pressed  the  sigh  that  betokened  her  inner 
struggle,  and  catching  her  breath,  she  said : 
"  He  is  no  stranger !  " 

"  That  seems  to  have  been  the  opinion  of 
the  rest  of  the  family,"  Mr.  Benas  said  to 
his  son,  "  and  it  is  really  time,  Hugo,  that 
you  put  an  end  to  your  childish  and  un- 
called-for prejudice  against  Dr.  Weilen.  His 
personality  certainly  gives  no  occasion  for 
such  feeling,  and  he  does  not  encroach  upon 
your  wishes  and  theories.  He  seems  to  me 
the  last  man  to  stand  in  your  way." 

Rita  gave  her  father  a  look  of  gratitude. 

"  He  has  no  right  to,  and  never  shall 
have,"  Hugo  answered  angrily. 

"  You  spoil  everything  with  your  intol- 
erance. And  now  enough.  I'd  much  rather 
hear  what  the  pious  old  man  thinks  in  his 
mild  wisdom  than  listen  to  the  opinions  of 
a  hard,  callow  youth  in  his  folly." 

Hugo  ground  his  teeth,  and  refrained 
from  answering. 

"Well,  Fanny,  how  did  it  go?" 
376 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  At  first  it  seemed  very  strange  to  the 
various  members  of  the  family.  The  oldest 
son  of  Uncle  Leopold,  with  whom  he  is 
living,  Cousin  Isidor,  and  his  wife  Hannah, 
could  not  at  first  comprehend  what  the  ques- 
tion was  about.  Cousin  Isidor  is  already 
past  seventy,  and  the  horizon  of  his  wife 
does  not  extend  beyond  the  line  connecting 
her  room  and  the  synagogue." 

Involuntarily  she  glanced  at  Hugo  before 
she  continued :  "  Considering  the  narrow 
existence  they  lead,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at.  The  daughters  of  Uncle  Leopold, 
Friederike  and  Rebecca,  and  their  husbands 
were  also  not  a  little  astonished.  I  found 
their  children,  a  few  of  whom  have  remained 
at  home,  equally  unsympathetic;  but  all  of 
them  yielded  without  objection  to  the  au- 
thority of  Uncle  Leopold,  who  lives  among 
them  like  a  patriarch.  He  said  :  '  If  Fanny 
Benas,  the  daughter  of  my  brother-in-law 
Friedheim  of  Rogasen,  and  of  my  sister 
Henrietta,  pleads  for  him,  then  he  is  surely 
377 


THE  PATRIARCH 


a  good  man.  And  my  sister  Goldine,  his 
mother,  was  the  darling  of  my  mother  and 
my  father,  Zichrono  livrochoh.  She  was 
named  after  her  grandmother,  Golde  Freid- 
chen,  the  wife  of  our  grandfather,  the  Gaon 
Rabbi  Akiba,  Zecher  Zaddik  livrochoh. 
Goldine  was  the  youngest  of  us  fourteen 
children,  and  the  first  to  die ;  and  if  her  son 
wishes  to  come  to  me,  the  oldest  and  only 
one,  who,  boruch  ha-Shem,  is  still  here,  and 
if  I  have  the  fortune  to  survive  until  the  day 
of  the  celebration,  then  he  shall  come.  He 
shall  come  with  the  rest  of  you,  and  he  shall 
rejoice  with  you.  And  I  shall  see  the  only 
child  of  my  beloved  sister  Goldine.'  Aunt 
Riekel  softly  interrupted :  '  But  he  is  bap- 
tized ! '  An  indescribable  look  of  pain 
moved  his  withered  old  face;  but  it  lasted 
only  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  he  an- 
swered in  a  mild  voice :  '  If  he  wishes  to 
come,  he  shall  come.  Perhaps  Golde  Freid- 
chen  has  interceded  for  her  great-grandchild 
that  he  should  find  his  way  back  to  the  fold. 
378 


THE  PATRIARCH 


For  if  a  Jew  is  baptized,  and  he  calls  out  in 
his  hour  of  death,  Shema  Yisrocl,  he  shall 
be  accounted  a  Jew !  Shall  I  be  more  severe 
than  Shem  Yisborachf "  Profound  humility 
and  goodness  were  expressed  in  his  words; 
and  no  one  contradicted  him." 

Mrs.  Benas's  recital  was  received  in  si- 
lence. She  continued :  "  The  person  ex- 
pected is  evidently  not  the  Regierungsrat 
Dr.  Weilen,  but  the  son  of  Aunt  Goldine, 
the  youngest  sister  of  Uncle  Leopold  Fried- 
lander." 

"  And  as  such  he'll  come  to  them,"  said 
Rita,  dreamily.  She  had  listened  to  her 
mother's  tale  as  to  a  revelation.  It  seemed 
to  her  thirsting  soul  like  a  miracle  from  far 
distant  times,  and  the  words  forced  them- 
selves to  her  lips  involuntarily. 

"  Do  you  believe  that,  also  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Benas  of  his  wife. 

"  I  am  convinced  a  man  such  as  he  is 
will  strike  the  right  note." 

"  So  that  is  settled,  too ;  and  we  may  look 

379 


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forward  to  the  celebration  without  concern. 
You  must  let  Dr.  Weilen  know  the  result  of 
your  intercession." 

"  I  shall  write  to  him  to-morrow." 


On  the  following  afternoon  Mrs.  Benas 
was  sitting  in  her  room,  looking  medita- 
tively before  her,  an  expression  of  melan- 
choly in  her  sweet,  refined  face.  Rita  had 
just  left  her.  Mother  and  daughter  had 
experienced  an  hour  of  profound  agitation; 
Rita  had  sought  her  in  order  to  confess  her 
love  for  Victor.  Trembling  and  hesitating, 
she  confided  in  her  mother  as  in  a  friend; 
how  the  feeling  had  been  awakened  on  the 
very  first  evening,  when  he  referred  to  his 
loneliness,  and  how  it  had  gradually  grown, 
the  more  she  saw  of  him.  His  amiable, 
open-hearted  disposition  had  appealed  to 
her;  but  above  all  his  confiding  intimacy 
which  had  found  so  little  encouragement. 
Hugo,  in  fact,  had  often  spurned  him  rudely. 
380 


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It  had  always  pained  her  to  see  a  man,  by 
nature  so  proud  and  gentlemanly,  accept 
these  rebuffs  with  patience  and  forbearance. 
Once,  when  she  tried  to  excuse  Hugo,  he 
had  said :  "  I  understand  his  grief  and  in- 
dignation, and  so  I  can  forgive  him.  He 
must  have  suffered  much  before  he  arrived 
at  a  state  of  such  intense  resentment  as  to 
make  him  see  an  enemy  in  everyone  with 
different  opinions  from  his  own.  But  some 
day  we  may  find  a  point  of  contact;  and 
until  then  his  young  anger  shall  not  drive 
me  away  from  the  home  of  your  parents,  a 
home  that  has  grown  dear  to  me, — and  from 
you,  Rita."  Since  that  time  a  secret  under- 
standing had  existed  between  them.  They 
had  said  nothing  to  each  other ;  but  she  knew 
that  he  grew  dearer  to  her  from  day  to  day. 
She  was  happy  when  he  came,  and  missed 
him  when  he  stayed  away.  She  knew  that 
he  loved  her;  she  knew  it  through  the  deli- 
cate and  subtle  sensitiveness  that  exalts  the 
soul  of  a  young  girl  in  this  phase  of  her  life, 
381 


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endows  her  with  intuitions,  and  makes  each 
slightest  impulse  rich  with  meaning.  Then 
came  that  sacred  hour  of  the  New  Year's 
Day, — and  his  letter.  She  confessed  all  to 
her  mother,  gradually  overcoming  the  tim- 
idity and  fear  with  which  she  had  begun  her 
recital,  until  her  confession  grew  into  a  verit- 
able paean  of  love.  Her  mother  was  deeply 
moved.  At  the  moment  she  had  no  thought 
of  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  such  a  con- 
nection; she  thought  only  of  the  happiness 
of  her  child.  Then  she  read  Dr.  Weilen's 
letter.  Rita's  eyes  rested  on  her  mother's 
face  to  note  the  effect  of  his  confessions. 
Mrs.  Benas  was  profoundly  touched.  At 
first  it  merely  interested  her  greatly,  then 
it  stirred  her  emotions.  When  she  finished 
tears  stood  in  her  eyes.  Rita,  sobbing  in 
mingled  joy  and  sorrow,  sought  refuge  in 
her  mother's  arms. 

What  would  be  the  outcome  of  it  all? 
For  the  present  Mrs.  Benas  could  give  no 
answer.  But  she  quieted  her,  lovingly 

382 


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caressed  the  cheeks  wet  with  streaming  tears, 
and  urged  her  to  be  calm.  Nothing  must 
be  done  precipitately,  particularly  because 
of  the  coming  celebration.  Such  considera- 
tion was  due  to  the  old  sage  to  whom  this 
day  was  to  be  dedicated.  Whatsoever  might 
disturb  the  harmony,  or  cause  bad  humor  or 
disquietude  must  be  avoided.  Surely  she 
was  not  asking  too  much  in  expressing  the 
wish  that  until  after  the  celebration  no  de- 
cision should  be  reached.  In  the  meantime, 
things  must  remain  as  they  were;  and  she 
was  convinced,  a  man  like  Dr.  Weilen,  wise 
and  prudent,  would  acquiesce. 

"  But  he  may  visit  us  ?  "  Rita  anxiously 
questioned. 

"  Certainly ;  he  may  come  as  before." 

"  And  shall  I  say  nothing  to  him,  mam- 
ma? Not  speak  to  him  of  his  letter?  Not 
of  all  I  think  and  feel?" 

"  I  can't  prescribe  as  to  that,  dear  child. 
But  I  trust  your  tact.  The  private  under- 
standing that  has  existed  between  you  two 
383 


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until  now,  I  do  not  want  to  disturb,  and 
I  cannot.  But  what  I  can  ask  of  you  is  that 
you  give  me  time  to  consider,  and  that  you 
in  turn  accept  patiently  the  terms  demanded 
by  circumstances.  Do  you  promise  me  that, 
Rita?" 

"  Yes,  mamma ;  but  Dr.  Weilen  ?  " 
"  He  will  agree  to  whatever  you  want ; 
and  this  evening  you  yourself  shall  tell  him. 
I  expect  him  to  dinner,  and  I  asked  him 
to  come  a  little  earlier  so  as  to  have  the 
chance  to  speak  to  him  about  the  birthday 
celebration.  I  shall  let  you  report  to  him 
that  he  will  be  a  welcome  guest  there.  And 
then  you  can  tell  him  whatever  your  heart 
dictates;  but  your  heart  must  not  forget 
that  with  us  Jews  feeling  of  the  individual 
for  himself  must  give  way  to  feeling  for 
something  else — for  the  family;  and  that 
such  considerations  at  times  require  personal 
sacrifices.  These  sacrifices  have  made  us 
great  and  strong,  and  have  aroused  in  us 
the  capacity  for  self-surrender  and  self- 

384 


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sacrificing  love.  They  are  founded  upon 
the  noble  sentiments  of  piety  and  duty.  The 
man  who  loves  you  will  understand;  be- 
cause very  likely  he  unconsciously  loves  in 
you  these  ethical  principles  under  which  you 
have  grown  up,  and  which  have  laid  their 
impress  upon  your  personality,  your  cul- 
ture, and  your  appearance." 

Tenderly  and  proudly  she  looked  at  her 
daughter,  in  whom  grace  and  modesty,  dig- 
nity and  humility,  were  charmingly  blended, 
whose  longing  and  love  had  not  crowded 
out  the  feeling  of  obedience  and  compliance. 

Rita  kissed  her  mother's  hand  in  respect 
and  gratitude. 

"And  shall  I  not  tell  him  that  I  have 
made  you  my  confidante  ?  " 

"  I  leave  that  to  you ;  only  I  should  not 
like  to  be  forced  into  an  understanding  with 
him  now.  Leave  everything  as  it  was. 
You  were  content  then,  and  you  will  lose 
nothing  by  the  arrangement  now. 

Rita  withdrew.     Mrs.  Benas  was  left  to 

385 


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her  own  thoughts,  not  free  from  anxiety, 
yet  full  of  hope  for  the  happiness  of  her 
daughter. 


The  Benases  and  their  guests,  Dr.  Weilen 
and  Dr.  Rosenfeld,  were  spending  the 
evening  together  most  agreeably.  The  din- 
ner had  passed  off  pleasantly.  Mr.  Benas 
was  in  a  happy  frame  of  mind,  and  his  good 
spirits  dispelled  the  reserve  and  formality 
that  at  first  prevailed.  Dr.  Weilen,  with  his 
usual  tact  and  good  nature,  promptly  fell  in 
with  and  abetted  the  high  spirits  of  his 
host.  Mrs.  Benas,  too,  after  momentary 
embarrassment,  contributed  in  her  refined 
and  clever  manner  and  with  her  considerate 
hospitality,  to  the  pleasure  of  the  small  circle. 
Hugo  was  not  so  brusque  as  usual,  owing 
to  the  benignant  influence  of  his  friend 
Henry.  Rita  seemed  transformed  by  her 
secret  happiness.  Modest  and  reserved  as 
she  always  was,  her  silence  was  not  noticed. 

386 


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At  times  she  glanced  at  Victor's  face;  and 
when  their  eyes  happened  to  meet  in  love 
and  perfect  understanding,  the  blood  rose 
precipitately  to  her  cheeks.  They  had  had 
a  talk  before  dinner  was  served,  and  Rita 
had  given  him  the  news  that  he  was  to  be 
welcomed  at  Uncle  Leopold's  celebration. 
He  had  gathered  her  in  his  arms,  and  pressed 
a  kiss  upon  he;r  forehead.  "  My  wife,  my 
dear  wife,"  he  said  with  emotion.  She 
drew  closer  to  him,  but  made  no  answer. 
Such  was  their  betrothal — not  the  passionate, 
stormy  love  with  which  he  had  courted  her 
on  New  Year's  Day,  but  as  though  devoutly 
consecrating  her.  And  she  was  happy. 

Then  she  told  him  of  her  conversation 
with  her  mother,  and  spoke  of  his  letter, 
which  had  given  her  a  deep  insight  into  his 
life,  and  had  brought  consolation  to  her  as 
well  as  to  her  mother,  especially  upon  one 
point.  She  hesitated  as  she  said  this,  and 
he  sealed  her  lips  with  a  kiss :  "  No,  truly,  I 
am  no  apostate!  and  my  love  and  faith  to- 

387 


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ward  you  will  last  forever,  no  matter  what 
may  come.    And  you,  Rita?  " 

"  Nothing  shall  separate  me  from  you," 
she  answered  simply  but  resolutely,  as  if 
registering  a  vow. 

Then  they  talked  of  her  mother's  request, 
and  he  readily  consented  to  respect  it.  "  If 
I  am  certain  of  your  love,  then  I  can  recon- 
cile myself  to  keeping  this  happiness  to 
myself,  until  I  can  joyously  proclaim  it  to 
the  whole  world.  I  must  consent  to  the 
conditions  your  mother  imposes,  however 
trying  they  may  be.  At  all  events  I  shall 
see  you;  and  we  share  a  secret  that  makes 
us  happy,  and  brings  us  yet  closer  together, 
if  possible.  When  I  look  at  you,  my  eyes 
will  tell  you  that  I  love  you,  and  I  shall 
know  that  you  are  mine.  And  our  eyes  will 
meet  in  kisses,  and  every  pressure  of  the 
hand  will  tell  you  of  my  hopes  and  longings. 
And  this  secret  language  which  only  we 
two  understand  will  be  more  eloquent  than 
spoken  words." 

388 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Tears  stood  in  her  eyes.  When  he  saw 
her  before  him,  in  her  sweet  purity  and 
virgin  modesty,  it  seemed  impossible  to  him 
to  carry  out  his  self-denying  resolutions. 
He  drew  her  to  him  again,  and  said  ex- 
citedly :  "  And  must  I  do  without  you,  be 
with  you  and  not  enfold  you,  not  kiss  you? 
Impossible !  How  long  must  it  be  ?  " 

Then  he  became  calm  again.  "  Well,  then, 
it  must  be." 

When  later  on,  Mrs.  Benas  entered,  he 
kissed  her  hand.  Not  a  word  was  said ; 
yet  they  knew  that  each  understood  the 
other  and  that  they  were  in  accord.  When 
the  rest  of  the  company  joined  them,  noth- 
ing betrayed  their  secret  conference.  After 
dinner  they  gathered  in  the  small  drawing- 
room.  Dr.  Weilen's  tactfulness  made  it  easy 
to  guide  the  conversation  into  general  chan- 
nels. He  told  of  the  successes  of  Germany's 
colonial  policy,  and  what  far-reaching  sig- 
nificance it  possessed. 

"  I  do  not  quite  understand  why  this 
389 


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policy  is  so  obstinately  opposed  here,"  said 
Mr.  Benas. 

"  It  is  because  the  masses  are  short- 
sighted, and  appreciate  nothing  that  can- 
not be  realized  in  the  near  future.  Their 
hand-to-mouth  mode  of  living  is  the  stand- 
ard by  which  they  measure  everything. 
Why  spend  money  upon  ventures  that  will 
profit  only  future  generations?  Decidedly 
not.  What  nonsense!  Here  are  the  pen- 
nies, here  is  the  bread  for  their  own  stom- 
achs. What  business  of  ours  is  it,  if  the 
coming  generation  eats  cake  instead  of  hard, 
dry  bread?  To-day's  policy  knows  no  to- 
morrow. Such  is  the  logic  of  the  narrow- 
minded  and  the  illiberal,  the  philosophy  of 
an  insect  with  one  day  to  live.  It  is  obvious 
why  the  people  espouse  the  policy,  but  it 
will  not  do  to  have  it  become  the  dominant 
policy.  It  has  always  been  necessary  to 
force  upon  the  masses  what  was  for  their 
own  good.  Reformers  and  tyrants  have  had 
to  apply  the  same  formulae.  They  have  al- 
390 


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ways  had  to  be  firm,  resolute,  not  easily  dis- 
couraged. They  had  to  rule!  Whatever 
they  regarded  as  right,  had  to  be  carried 
through  at  every  cost  World-power  can- 
not be  attained  under  a  narrow  local  policy." 

"  Do  you  set  great  store  by  our  colonial 
policy  ?  " 

"  Decidedly  so.  For  a  long  time  I  worked 
in  the  colonial  <  department,  and  even  now 
I  take  pleasure  in  following  up  our  colonial 
affairs.  The  more  I  look  into  the  matter, 
the  more  I  am  convinced  that  a  world-power 
can  be  properly  developed  only  upon  a  colo- 
nial basis." 

"  The  Palestinian  agricultural  colonies  for 
the  Eastern  Jews  are  also  a  part  of  the 
colonial  policy,"  Hugo  said ;  and  addressing 
himself  directly  to  Dr.  Weilen,  he  added : 
"  I  don't  know  whether  this  has  ever  occu- 
pied your  attention." 

"  Surely  it  has ;  how  can  you  doubt  it  ? 
How  could  anyone  who  is  chiefly  occupied 
with  such  affairs  pass  it  by  unheeding? 
391 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Was  it  likely  that  I  would  be  the  exception  ? 
On  the  whole  it  is  a  matter  that  attracts 
more  attention  than  is  generally  supposed, 
even  in  well-informed  circles.  The  efforts 
now  being  made  are  well  known.  They 
are  taken  note  of,  even  though  not  with  ap- 
proval. Projects  for  the  formation  of  an 
independent  government  would  certainly  not 
be  favored.  People  might  smile  pityingly 
or  contemptuously  at  them,  perhaps  oppose 
them  as  hostile  to  the  constituted  authori- 
ties. But  the  formula  of  reformers  and  ty- 
rants applies  to  the  Jews  as  well:  let  them 
be  strong  of  will,  indomitable,  not  easily 
discouraged,  and  persistent." 

"  Dr.  Weilen !  "  The  exclamation  rang 
with  doubt  and  hope.  Hugo  stared  with 
burning  eyes,  in  an  attempt  to  read  Victor's 
meaning.  Was  he  trifling,  or  was  he  ser- 
ious? Henry  likewise  looked  at  the  speaker 
with  surprise ;  his  eyes  seemed  to  plead : 
"  Do  not  make  mock  of  what  is  sacred  to 
us."  Then  a  menacing  expression  lit  up  his 
392 


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beautiful,  noble  face,  as  he  said :  "  The 
leaders  of  this  cause  are  aware  of  the  im- 
portance of  their  undertakings,  and  they 
surely  do  not  lack  courage  to  carry  them 
through." 

"  Are  you  amongst  the  leaders?  " 

"  Not  yet,  but  I  hope  to  be ;  at  any  rate 
my  life  is  entirely  dedicated  to  the  cause." 

He  glanced  inyoluntarily  from  Dr.  Weilen 
to  Rita,  and  a  pained  smile  flitted  across 
his  lips. 

Dr.  Weilen  caught  the  glance,  and  no- 
ticed that  Rita's  pale  face  had  flushed.  In 
a  flash,  he  recognized  the  tragedy  of  his 
young  life;  this  enthusiast  loved  her.  But 
devotion  to  his  ideals,  to  his  unhappy  race, 
was  the  stronger  motive,  and  like  a  hero, 
he  bade  adieu  to  all  desires  and  hopes, 
strangled  them  before  they  could  command 
him.  Rita  must  have  had  some  suspicion 
of  his  feelings,  else  why  had  she  blushed? 
He  looked  at  her,  but  her  eyes  revealed  only 
the  most  complete  surrender  to  himself. 
393 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Deep  sympathy  for  Henry  possessed  him. 
A  bond  united  them.  Henry  had  looked  on 
the  lovely  flower,  had  watched  in  silence  the 
glorious  unfolding  of  its  petals.  As  a  friend 
of  her  brother,  her  friend,  too,  and  a  fav- 
orite of  the  family,  he  might  have  won  her. 
But  voluntarily  he  renounced  her,  and  chose 
to  tread  the  thorny  path,  at  whose  distant, 
far  distant  end  beckoned  the  fulfilment  of 
his  ideals.  How  could  he  resign  her?  He 
studied  the  young  man.  How  could  he 
give  her  up, — Rita?  His  eyes  sought  Rita. 
On  her  countenance  lay  the  reflection  of 
happy  pride  and  inner  contentment.  It  had 
made  her  ineffably  happy  to  hear  him  speak 
as  he  did  of  the  question  that  engaged  her 
sympathies,  chiefly  because  it  formed  the  su- 
preme interest  of  the  brother  to  whom  she 
was  attached  so  intimately  and  lovingly. 
Mrs.  Benas  likewise  showed  her  satisfaction 
with  Dr.  Weilen's  attitude,  and  she  looked 
triumphantly  first  at  her  son  and  then  at  her 
husband. 

394 


THE  PATRIARCH 


A  slight,  somewhat  skeptical  smile  played 
about  Mr.  Benas's  lips,  while  Hugo,  not  able 
wholly  to  control  his  excitement,  exclaimed : 

"  And  you  yourself,  Dr.  Weilen,  what  is 
your  opinion  of  the  movement?  " 

"  From  a  purely  theoretical  point  of  view, 
as  I  said,  I  am  throughout  in  favor  of  a 
colonial  policy.  I  consider  the  expansion 
and  the  extensionvof  our  possessions  an  abso- 
lute necessity  in  order  to  meet  the  in- 
creased needs  of  the  nation.  I  admire  the 
keen  foresight  of  the  Emperor,  who  has 
recognized  this,  and  has  made  it  his  chief 
aim  to  fill  the  arteries  of  the  kingdom  with 
fresh,  strong  blood.  The  advantages  of  the 
undertaking  will  become  apparent  only  to 
future  generations,  and  it  will  then  be  dif- 
ficult to  understand  the  opposition  of  those 
who  objected  to  his  plans ;  and  that  for  small 
considerations,  because  money  considera- 
tions are  always  petty,  unless  they  further 
great  ends.  To  save  at  the  wrong  time  and 
at  the  wrong  place  is  always  a  poor  policy. 

395 


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and  to  try  to  set  aside  important  matters 
with  trifling  jests  is  simply  stupid.  You 
can't  help  despising  your  opponents,  when 
you  know  positively  that  they  don't  under- 
stand what  they  oppose.  In  the  minds  of 
those  who  are  thoroughly  interested  in  the 
subject,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  coming 
century  will  be  largely  occupied  with  the 
development  of  colonial  affairs,  and  that 
such  measures  will  decidedly  affect  social 
conditions.  Mistakes  will  be  made.  There 
will  be  disappointments,  but  every  pioneer 
enterprise  must  contend  with  that.  The 
method  of  the  reformer  and  the  tyrant  will 
have  to  be  enforced,  as  has  so  often  been 
done  in  the  history  of  mankind.  There  is  a 
power  that  stands  behind  justice,  which  ob- 
stinacy converts  into  injustice." 

Here  he  paused  and  considered.  His  ex- 
planations had  been  listened  to  with  the 
greatest  interest.  No  objection  was  inter- 
posed, and  so  he  continued :  "  Now  in  re- 
gard to  the  colonial  plans  of  the  Jews:  no 
396 


THE  PATRIARCH 


objection  will  be  made  by  those  who  have 
accepted  the  colonial  policy  as  their  pro- 
gramme, and  who  expect  in  the  near  future 
to  see  a  practical  fulfilment  of  their  care- 
fully evolved  plans.  Why  should  not  the 
most  beneficial  results  come  from  such  col- 
onization ?  Civilization  will  in  its  movement 
return  from  West  to  East,  where  it  began. 
Why  should  not  the  descendants  of  those 
who  carried  it  from  its  source  to  all  quarters 
of  the  earth  be  the  ones  to  bring  it  back? 
But  I  must  not  conceal  from  you  that  this 
is  merely  my  personal  view  of  the  matter. 
Recently,  when  I  became  absorbed  in  the 
question,  because  I  had  acquired  an  especial 
interest  in  it," — he  said  this  with  unmistak- 
able pointedness — "  I  found  that  I  did  not 
look  at  it  from  a  merely  objective  and  logi- 
cal point  of  view,  but  that  my  sentiments 
were  involved.  At  crucial  moments  you  re- 
member that  you  are  the  great-grandson  of 
Rabbi  Akiba  Friedlander.  With  pride  I  re- 
call that  our  great-grandfather,  Rabbi 

807 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Eliezer,  with  one  of  his  sons-in-law, — I 
think  it  was  your  father,  Mrs.  Benas, — was 
given  an  audience  by  Frederick  William  III 
in  order  to  discuss  the  colonization  of  the 
Jews  in  Palestine,  and  to  beg  his  protection. 
So  long  ago  as  that,  and  he  an  old  Rabbi 
from  the  province  of  Posen!  What  crops 
out  in  me  as  a  practical  interest  in  colonial 
schemes,  and  what  makes  you,  my  friend, 
so  deeply  devoted  to  the  cause,  may  be  the 
legacy  of  our  ancestry.  Possibly  this  pre- 
vents us  from  judging  these  matters  quite 
fairly;  but,  then,  our  family,  in  whom  this 
idea  has  been  kept  alive  for  generations, 
may  fitly  uphold  it  without  incurring  the 
charge  of  being  dreamers  or  political 
schemers." 

He  noticed  how  Rita's  face  was  transfig- 
ured while  he  spoke.  He  saw  that  his  host 
was  pleased,  and  that  Mrs.  Benas  was  beam- 
ing with  calm  content,  and  showed  her  pleas- 
ure and  pride,  that  a  descendant  of  Rabbi 
Akiba  Friedlander  should  hold  these  views. 
398 


THE  PATRIARCH 


He  felt  Henry's  inspired  gaze  rest  upon  him 
in  questioning  surprise,  and  in  Hugo's  face 
he  read  the  same  sentiments  that  filled  his 
own  soul  at  the  time. 

"  If  only  we  could  shout  to  the  entire  race," 
the  boy  exclaimed,  overcome  with  emotion, 
"  '  Don't  forget  your  glorious  past,  be  proud 
of  your  mission  among  the  peoples  of  the 
earth,  endure  sorrow  in  hope  of  the  day 
when  you  will  enjoy  an  endless  period  of 
honor  and  self-confidence.' ' 

Rita  rose  involuntarily,  and  stood  next  to 
her  brother.  Henry  had  also  drawn  near  to 
his  friend;  and  the  three  young  people 
formed  an  impressive  group — Hugo  in 
the  proud  posture  of  a  conqueror,  Henry 
with  the  devoted  expression  of  apostolic 
enthusiasm,  and  Rita  in  pure  happiness,  the 
embodiment  of  youth  and  beauty  awaiting 
victory.  Dr.  Weilen,  regarding  the  trio 
pensively,  went  on  to  say: 

"  Young  Israel  may  not  be  deprived  of 
its  ideals;  those  ideals  are  too  worthy,  too 

399 


THE  PATRIARCH 


potent,  to  be  lost ;  their  peculiarity  should  be 
cherished,  not  destroyed."  He  looked  feel- 
ingly at  Rita,  and  she  seemed  to  accept  the 
glance  as  a  promise.  Mrs.  Benas  also  read 
the  message  and  a  faint  smile  of  content 
passed  over  her  lips. 

The  conversation  then  assumed  a  more 
general  character,  although  they  came  back 
several  times  to  the  subject  that  had  given 
Dr.  Weilen  occasion  to  present  his  views. 
Dr.  Rosenfeld  found  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
press his  opinions  of  the  present  position 
of  the  Jews.  He  spoke  in  his  melancholy, 
but  sympathetic  manner: 

"  It  is  quite  inexplicable  that  the  Jew  so 
often  lacks  courage  to  acknowledge  to  hin> 
self  exactly  what  he  is.  The  adherents  of 
other  faiths  think  they  must  protect  them- 
selves against  Jewish  influence,  and  they  fear 
a  loss  of  their  national  peculiarities.  As- 
tounding that  this  instinct  of  self-preserva- 
tion is  lacking  in  the  Jew!  That  he  is  not 
proud  and  haughty  enough  to  defend  his 

400 


THE  PATRIARCH 


characteristics  and  to  uphold  them,  just  as 
the  other  races  do,  especially  since  his  in- 
heritance includes  such  worthy  and  brilliant 
qualities.  Until  recent  times  there  was  a 
bond  that  united  the  Jews,  it  is  true,  not  in 
free,  courageous  self-consciousness,  but  in 
humility  and  subjection.  The  bond  was 
their  faith.  But  to-day,  when  this  faith  is 
shaken, — for  as  soon  as  the  revered  old 
forms  and  customs  are  changed,  it  becomes 
insecure, — to-day  when  among  many  Jews 
this  faith  is  undermined  by  destructive  criti- 
cism, by  the  onslaught  of  rationalism,  some- 
thing else  must  take  its  place,  and  that  some- 
thing is  historical  consciousness.  Every- 
where except  among  the  Jews  the  feeling  of 
nationality  has  reached  a  higher  expression 
than  ever.  Yet  the  consciousness  of  their 
great  past  and  of  their  mighty  cultural  de- 
velopment would  justify  their  taking  such 
a  position.  It  is  urged  that  the  religious, 
conservative  Israelite  will  continue  to  exist 
despite  the  modern  Jew;  but  one  thing  is 
401 


THE  PATRIARCH 


forgotten,  that  every  new  generation  is  the 
modern  generation;  the  old  die  off  to  make 
room  for  the  younger.  But  where  among  the 
new,  the  newer,  and  the  newest,  in  genera- 
tion after  generation,  do  you  find  those  who 
maintain  their  traditions  unaltered  ?  Let  us 
not  deceive  ourselves.  Where  is  the  Jewish 
home  to-day  like  the  home  of  yesterday? 
The  spirit  of  the  new  age  has  brought  about 
a  change  even  in  families  maintaining  the 
old  traditions  with  reverence  and  pride.  At 
best,  in  some  quiet,  retired  corner  they  build 
a  temple  in  memory  of  the  past,  possibly 
only  when  an  aged,  venerable  member  of 
the  family  guards  the  sanctuary  like  a  priest 
and  patriarch." 

"  Rosenfeld,"  teased  Mr.  Benas,  "  your 
allusions  are  plainly  personal." 

"  Forgive  me,  Mr.  Benas,"  he  answered, 
his  pale  face  flushing,  "  it  was  no  hidden 
allusion,  but  a  plain  reference  to  the  example 
of  your  family,  all  the  members  of  which, 
though  living  a  modern  life,  and  having 
402 


THE  PATRIARCH 


discarded  religious  tradition,  yet  are  pre- 
paring to  celebrate  a  festival  according  to 
the  old  Jewish  custom.  What  is  bringing 
them  together,  however,  is  not  their  faith, 
not  their  customs,  but  one  of  their  number, 
who  has  attained  the  age  of  a  patriarch, — 
an  old  man  whom  they  wish  to  honor,  whom 
they  regard  with  devotion  and  affection. 
This  old  sage  will  be  ninety  years  old,  and 
these  sentiments  of  the  occasion  are  purely 
personal,  concerning  a  single  individual.  It 
is  not  faith,  only  filial  reverence.  How  long 
will  Israel  continue  to  have  patriarchs? 
How  long  will  honor  be  brought  to  them? 
And  if  this  bond  is  broken,  and  the  historical 
sentiment  does  not  grow  strong  in  Israel 
to  take  its  place,  what  then?  There  are 
many  who  say,  Our  mission  fulfilled,  we 
dare  not  complain,  if  we,  the  small  minority, 
dissolve  as  an  independent  influence.  One 
cannot  oppose  such  a  view ;  there  is  much  to 
justify  it,  and  it  contains  much  truth.  But 
403 


THE  PATRIARCH 


it  is  a  sad  truth,  and  I  should  not  like  it  to 
be  my  conviction;  for  I  would  not  have  my 
race  to  disappear.  It  is  worthy  to  survive. 
It  has  great  and  glorious  possibilities. 
Under  the  sunshine  of  a  free  development 
these  will  blossom  forth  and  bear  fine  fruit 
and  make  Israel  great  among  the  nations.'' 

His  speech  was  apparently  dispassionate, 
and  his  arguments  were  set  forth  clearly  and 
objectively.  But  his  voice  vibrated,  as  with 
suppressed  grief,  a  bitter  appeal,  and  inner 
distress.  His  noble,  quiet  countenance 
seemed  to  convey  a  silent  plaint,  but  the 
speech  of  his  eyes  was  eloquent.  They  ex- 
pressed entreaty,  enthusiasm,  and  hope. 

Mr.  Benas  was  lost  in  thought,  while 
Hugo  impulsively  clasped  his  friend's  hand. 

The  suspense  and  excitement  that  had 
taken  hold  of  all  was  broken  only  when  Mrs. 
Benas  asked  them  to  think  of  more  material 
matters,  and  invited  them  to  take  a  glass  of 
beer  or  wine  and  a  sandwich.  The  clever 
404 


THE  PATRIARCH 


woman  had  waited  for  the  right  moment. 
They  chatted  yet  a  while  of  indifferent  mat- 
ters. Somewhat  later,  when  Dr.  Weilen 
found  himself  alone  with  Rita,  he  asked : 
"  Who  is  this  Dr.  Rosenfeld?  " 

"  A  student  friend  of  Hugo's.  Hugo 
brought  him  here,  and  he  has  become  a  fa- 
vorite of  all  of  us." 

"Of  you,  too,  Rita?" 

"  Yes,"  she  said  simply. 

Her  candor  pleased  him.  "  Have  you 
been  with  him  much  ?  " 

"  He  became  my  friend,  especially  during 
the  last  few  months,  when  he  gave  me  les- 
sons in  philosophy,  and  introduced  me  to  the 
ideas  of  the  great  thinkers." 

"He  loves  you,  Rita?" 

She  looked  at  him  with  moist  eyes,  and 
said  in  a  low  voice :  "  He  has  never  told 
me  so." 

"  Who  could  live  near  you  and  not  love 
you?     But  he  is  carved  out  of  the  stuff  of 
which  martyrs  are  made." 
405 


THE  PATRIARCH 


Involuntarily  they  both  looked  at  Henry 
who  was  approaching  with  Hugo. 


A  few  days  before  the  Passover  festival 
the  excitement  and  bustle  apt  to  precede 
great  events  took  possession  of  the  little 
town  of  Rawitsch.  The  preparations  for 
the  celebration  of  the  ninetieth  birthday  of 
Leopold  Friedlander  were  in  full  swing. 
Mrs.  Benas  and  her  daughter  Rita  had 
been  upon  the  scene  of  action  for  three 
days.  They  had  personally  directed  the 
preparations,  and  assisted  their  relatives. 
Mrs.  Benas  was  staying  with  her  cousin  Re- 
becca Strelitz,  the  oldest  daughter  of  Uncle 
Leopold.  On  the  day  after  her  arrival,  she 
astonished  all  Rawitsch  by  appearing  at  the 
market  with  Rebecca  and  Friederike,  the 
second  daughter,  who  had  married  Meyer 
Pinkus,  a  city  alderman.  They  were  ac- 
companied by  the  cook,  whom  she  had  sent 
from  Berlin  a  week  before.  "  The  Frau  Ge- 

406 


THE  PATRIARCH 


heimratin  deigned  to  superintend,  in  her 
own  person,  the  buying  of  turkeys  and  ducks 
and  geese,"  the  poulterer  had  reported  at 
the  Minchah  service.  What  could  not  be 
had  in  the  little  village  had  been  ordered 
from  Berlin;  and  under  the  direction  of 
Uncle  Leopold's  daughter-in-law  Hannah, 
at  whose  house  the  celebration  was  to  take 
place,  baking  and  preserving  and  the  pre- 
paring of  all  sorts  of  delicacies  had  been 
busily  going  on  for  several  days,  in  a  kitchen 
especially  fitted  out  for  the  occasion.  To 
Rita  and  to  two  young  girls  from  Breslau 
and  Mannheim, — who  had  also  come  with 
their  mothers,  the  granddaughters  of  Uncle 
Leopold, — the  life  in  the  little  village 
seemed  extraordinary.  The  great-niece  as 
well  as  the  great-grandchildren  had  been 
raised  under  entirely  different  circumstances, 
and  all  the  ceremonial  customs  observed  in 
preparation  for  the  week  of  the  Passover 
by  the  entire  community,  but  especially  in 
the  homes  of  their  relatives,  were  new  and 
407 


THE  PATRIARCH 


strange  to  them.  On  the  last  evening  before 
the  beginning  of  the  Passover  they  had  been 
present  at  the  Chometz  batteln.  The  vener- 
erable  old  man  took  the  lead,  carrying  a 
taper,  some  quills,  and  a  large  cooking  spoon. 
He  was  followed  by  his  seventy-year-old  son 
Isidor  and  his  wife.  Thus  they  all  went 
through  the  entire  house  in  order  to  remove 
the  last  vestiges  of  leaven.  Rita  was  espe- 
cially impressed  with  the  seriousness  with 
which  this  was  undertaken,  and  with  the 
extreme  significance  attached  to  these  cus- 
toms. The  participants  clearly  laid  greater 
store  by  the  Passover  than  by  the  anni- 
versary celebration.  The  religious  observ- 
ance took  precedence  of  the  personal.  Dur- 
ing the  day  many  more  of  the  relatives  ar- 
rived, among  them  several  members  of  the 
family  from  the  Russian  city  of  Pinsk.  They 
were  adherents  of  the  old  Orthodoxy,  with 
even  a  strong  leaning  in  some  of  them  to- 
ward Chassidism.  They  had  accepted  the 
hospitality  of  a  distant  relative  who  was  es- 

408 


THE  PATRIARCH 


pecially  pious.  At  the  inn,  "  The  Golden 
Swan,"  the  guests  from  Munich  and  Vienna 
were  lodged;  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
next  day,  all  the  rest  were  expected,  among 
them  Mr.  Benas,  Hugo,  and  Dr.  Weilen. 
The  tall  poulterer,  so-called  because  of  his 
vocation  of  judging  live  poultry,  was  the 
chronicler  of  the  village,  and  Shmul  Weiss- 
bacher,  who  was  called  "  Rebbe  on  the  con- 
trary," because  he  always  took  opposite  sides 
from  the  person  who  spoke  to  him,  ran  from 
house  to  house  spreading  the  latest  news ;  the 
former  circulating  a  rumor,  the  latter  deny- 
ing the  report.  The  excitement  in  the  com- 
munity grew  from  hour  to  hour. 

In  order  to  make  sufficient  room  for  the 
table,  two  large  chambers  had  been  thrown 
into  one  by  the  removal  of  the  partition. 

The  poulterer  reported  that  they  were 
taking  out  the  walls  of  the  house,  while 
"  Rebbe  on  the  contrary "  declared  they 
weren't  tearing  down  the  walls  at  all,  merely 
a  bit  of  boarding  between  the  rooms. 

409 


THE  PATRIARCH 


At  all  events  Mrs.  Benas's  scheme  fur- 
nished an  appropriate  apartment.  The  big 
room  looked  decidedly  inviting,  with  its 
decorations  of  white  bunting  and  green  pine 
boughs.  Adjoining  was  the  spacious  "  best 
room  "  of  the  house ;  here  the  large  doors 
dividing  the  rooms  had  been  removed,  and 
the  tables  so  disposed  as  to  form  one  large 
banquet  board.  The  general  effect  was  fine. 

At  twilight  the  guests  assembled  for  the 
Seder.  The  Geheimrat,  who  arrived  some- 
what early  to  consult  with  his  wife,  still 
occupied  with  her  arrangements,  was  most 
agreeably  surprised. 

"  You  have  managed  splendidly,"  he  said, 
gallantly  kissing  his  wife's  hand.  "  Truly, 
wonderfully !  " 

Everybody  agreed  with  him,  when,  after 
greeting  the  head  of  the  family,  they  sat 
down  to  the  table.  It  was  covered  with  fine 
white  damask,  and  literally  glistened  with 
silver  and  glass.  The  wine  sparkled  in  mag- 
nificently cut  caraffes.  It  had  come  with  the 
410 


THE  PATRIARCH 


pale  oranges  from  the  colonies  of  the  Holy 
Land.  Everything  was  arranged  most  ef- 
fectively. The  Geheimrat  had  kept  his  word, 
and  had  sent  such  costly,  handsome  silver 
that  it  might  have  served  for  the  table  of  a 
prince.  And  like  a  prince  Leopold  Fried- 
lander  sat  among  his  own.  To-day  the 
modest,  honest,  unassuming  man  was  a 
king;  not  only  the  king  of  the  family  cele- 
bration, but  the  king  of  a  religious  festival. 

In  a  robe  of  white,  once  his  wedding  cos- 
tume, and  later  to  be  used  as  his  shroud,  a 
white  cap  bound  with  a  wide  silver  band 
resting  on  his  snow-white  hair,  he  sat  sup- 
ported by  soft  pillows,  covered  with  white 
embroidery.  At  his  side  sat  his  daughter- 
in-law,  Hannah,  in  a  grey  brocade  dress, 
with  a  heavy  golden  chain  about  her  neck, 
and  a  cap  of  ivory-white  lace  bedecked  with 
lilac  ribbons  pressed  low  on  her  forehead, 
the  traditional  head-dress  of  strictly  ortho- 
dox Jewesses.  Friederike  and  Rebecca,  her 
two  oldest  daughters,  likewise  wore  caps,  of 

411 


THE  PATRIARCH 


more  modern  fashion  however.  The  rela- 
tives from  Pinsk  still  clung  to  the  old  fash- 
ion of  the  silk  Sheitel,  with  which  a  married 
Jewess  entirely  conceals  her  hair,  replacing 
her  natural  adornment  by  costly  jewels. 
Strands  of  pearls  were  wound  about  their 
heads.  In  fact  all  the  Russian  members  of 
the  family  displayed  such  a  wealth  of  dia- 
monds and  jewels  that  Mr.  Benas  could 
hardly  suppress  a  smile  of  amusement. 

The  husbands  of  the  two  ladies  from  Pinsk 
were  attired  in  long  silk  caftans,  and  side- 
curls  escaped  on  each  cheek  from  beneath 
their  caps.  In  contrast  to  these  were  the 
elegant  modern  gowns  worn  by  the  rest  of 
the  family.  The  young  women  were  arrayed 
in  light  airy  dresses,  and  their  coiffures — 
brown  or  blonde  or  reddish  or  deep  black, — 
suggested  Botticelli  pictures.  The  men 
were  in  full  dress. 

And  the  company  was  no  less  diverse  in 
its  composition  than  in  the  appearance  of  its 
members.  Along  with  the  representatives 
412 


THE  PATRIARCH 


of  the  old  Judaism,  which  had  maintained 
itself  unchanged  for  centuries,  all  shades  and 
grades  of  belief  were  represented.  There 
were  the  orthodox,  the  pious,  the  conserva- 
tive, the  liberal,  the  reformed, — and  an 
apostate !  Similarly,  all  social  stations  were 
represented:  high  officials,  an  Oberverwalt- 
ungsrat,  and  an  attorney-general  from 
Munich — descended  from  the  South  Ger- 
man branch  of  the  Friedlanders — professors, 
physicians,  lawyers,  engineers,  manufac- 
turers, and  merchants.  There  was  lacking 
only  a  representative  of  the  rabbis.  There 
were  several  in  the  family;  but  they  had 
been  prevented  from  coming  because  of  the 
necessity  of  officiating  during  the  holidays. 
Among  the  younger  generation  there  were 
gifted  youths  of  studious  habits,  two  Bava- 
rian officers  and  an  Austrian  officer  in  uni- 
form ;  barristers,  assessors,  engineers,  trades- 
men, and  even  those  who  had  learnt  a  craft, 
and  yet  there  was  harmony  in  this  compos- 
413 


THE  PATRIARCH 


ite  picture, — a  harmony  created  by  the  com- 
mon sentiment  possessing  all  in  this  hour. 

Leopold  Friedlander  drew  the  large  silver 
Seder  platter  towards  him.  It  was  deco- 
rated with  the  symbolic  dishes  of  the  ser- 
vice. The  golden  shells  at  the  four  corners 
contained  the  Charoseth,  the  bitter  herbs, 
the  egg  roasted  in  ashes,  and  the  salt  water. 
In  the  middle  were  the  Matzoth  covered  with 
a  white  silk  cloth,  on  which  were  embroid- 
ered, in  gold,  lions  supporting  the  shield  of 
David  worked  in  silver  and  jewels.  Under 
this  stood  the  blessings  in  Hebrew  letters. 
A  granddaughter  had  executed  this  beauti- 
ful bit  of  needlework.  And  now  the  treble 
voice  of  a  five-year-old  boy,  the  son  of  a 
great-great-grandchild  of  the  patriarch, 
was  heard  saying  the  first  words  of 
the  Haggadah :  "  Mah  nishtaneh  ha- 
Layloh  hazeh?"  This  little  boy,  sitting 
at  the  table  of  his  ancestors,  was  the 
representative  of  the  fifth  living  gen- 
eration. He  traced  his  ancestry  directly 
414 


THE  PATRIARCH 


back  to  the  Rabbis  Eliezer  and  Akiba  Fried- 
lander,  known  as  learned  and  high-minded 
men,  whose  virtues  and  piety,  attainments 
and  generosity,  had  brought  honors  to  them, 
not  only  from  the  Jews,  but  also  from  those 
of  other  faiths.  When  little  Jacob,  in  child- 
like tones,  but  clearly  and  distinctly  asked 
the  prescribed  question,  was  Leopold  Fried- 
lander  thinking  of  his  father  and  grand- 
father? For  he  bent  over  his  Haggadah, 
and  tears  flowed  from  his  weary  old  eyes. 

Deep  emotion  took  hold  of  the  company. 
They  all  looked  from  the  old  man  to  the 
child, — who  was  staring  about  him  with 
wide-open  eyes  and  with  unsuspecting 
curiosity, — and  then  again  from  the  child 
to  the  old  man.  All  sorts  of  questions  and 
ideas  crowded  into  the  minds  of  the  guests. 
The  old  Judaism  and  the  new, — how  would 
they  exist  together?  Peacefully  and  quietly 
as  in  this  hour?  And  would  youth  listen 
devoutly  when  age  taught  the  lessons  from 
the  history  of  the  race?  Would  the  young 

415 


THE  PATRIARCH 


people  of  the  future  gather  about  the  patri- 
archs? Would  they  leave  the  busy  life,  the 
gay  bustle  of  existence,  its  struggles,  and 
its  duties  in  search  of  consecration  and 
peace?  Such  a  miracle  was  happening  in 
this  simple  Jewish  home.  In  a  spirit  of 
reverence  they  followed  the  recital  of  the 
Haggadah,  as  the  patriarch  intoned  in  a 
feeble  but  impressive  voice,  the  queer,  out- 
landish, Talmudic,  and  casuistic  interpreta- 
tions of  the  festival.  And  when,  with  trem- 
bling hands,  he  filled  the  tall  silver  beaker 
with  the  wine  destined  for  the  prophet 
Elijah,  he  rose  in  his  chair,  and  with  the  ex- 
pression of  religious  faith  imprinted  upon  his 
aged  features,  exclaimed,  Leshonoh  habooh 
bi-Yerusholoyim,  a  spirit  of  awe  descended 
upon  the  company.  No  one  seemed  able  for 
the  moment  to  throw  off  the  inspiring  im- 
pression, not  even  those  who  failed  to  share 
the  hopes  expressed  in  the  prayer. 

Hugo  Benas  was  most  deeply  affected. 
"  So  it  must  be,"  he  whispered  to  his  mother, 

416 


THE  PATRIARCH 


who  sat  next  to  him.  "  Though  worlds 
apart  in  their  views,  in  standards  of  life,  in 
position,  in  culture,  they  are  united  by  ties 
of  race.  And  wherever  Jews  live  in  this 
way,  a  spiritual  Zion  will  arise,  as  here,  in 
this  humble  abode." 


The  assembled  relatives  had  drawn  close 
together  during  these  holidays.  Points  of 
contact  had  appeared,  the  old  bonds  had  been 
renewed,  new  ones  had  been  formed;  and 
with  complacency  they  told  one  another  of 
the  many  members  of  the  family  who  had 
attained  high  positions  in  civil  life.  Honor 
was  paid  to  those  who  had  kept  the  religious 
traditions  uncontaminated.  Undisturbed 
harmony  reigned,  and  not  even  Victor  Wei- 
len  formed  a  discordant  element.  Curiously 
enough,  one  of  the  Pinsker  kin,  who  knew 
nothing  of  Victor's  apostasy  (for  the  sub- 
ject had  not  been  referred  to),  was  most 
attracted  to  him;  and  Victor  questioned  the 
417 


THE  PATRIARCH 


pious  and  intelligent  man  about  the  condi- 
tion of  the  Jews  in  Russia.  It  was  of  inter- 
est to  him  to  hear  how  the  old  orthodoxy 
had  been  preserved  there,  and  had  become 
a  factor  in  politics,  in  which,  despite  their 
religious  segregation,  the  Jews  were  neces- 
sarily involved.  Mr.  Benas,  however,  could 
not  resist  a  good-humored  yet  slightly  satiri- 
cal remark,  when  he  repeatedly  saw  these 
two  men  together.  "  Under  the  shelter  of  the 
Patriarch,  the  orthodox  and  the  apostate 
come  together,"  he  said  to  Hugo,  who  re- 
sponded :  "  That  is  Zion." 

With  these  impressions  fresh  in  mind,  the 
Benases  returned  home;  and  as  a  result  of 
their  influence  the  union  of  Weilen  with 
Rita  was  not  opposed,  not  even  by  Hugo. 
Since  the  evening  on  which  Dr.  Weilen  had 
so  freely  stated  his  views  concerning  coloni- 
zation, Hugo  had  been  less  distant  toward 
him,  and  in  the  course  of  time  the  relation 
between  them  grew  in  cordiality.  They  had 
discussed  the  Jewish  question  repeatedly, 
418 


THE  PATRIARCH 


and  Hugo  was  always  agreeably  impressed 
by  the  man's  calm,  his  lack  of  prejudice,  and 
his  sincerity.  Such  qualities  counted  doubly 
in  his  case.  They  had  also  touched  upon  his 
change  of  belief,  and  Dr.  Weilen  had  said 
in  regard  to  it :  "  The  new  belief  that  I 
adopted  could  give  me  nothing,  just  as  the 
loss  of  the  other  had  taken  nothing  from 
me,  because  I  was  not  devout  in  this  sense; 
and  that  liberated  me,  and  it  keeps  me  free 
even  to-day,  as  a  mature  man,  to  acknowl- 
edge and  associate  myself  with  those  to 
whom  I  am  attached  by  a  bond  which  has 
a  deeper  hold  than  this  or  that  rite  or  cere- 
mony can  possibly  have." 

And  when  Hugo  saw  him  so  full  of  tact, 
taking  a  cordial  interest  in  all  who  flocked 
about  the  patriarch,  on  the  spot  that  since 
then  he  called  "  Zion,"  he  had  taken  him 
into  his  young  heart,  readily  fired  with  en- 
thusiasm. He  understood  his  sister's  love 
for  this  man,  and  he  no  longer  resisted  the 
inevitable  outcome:  that  she  should  become 
419 


THE  PATRIARCH 


his  wife  according  to  the  laws  of  the  land 
in  which  they  lived.  But  then  ....  then ! 

The  engagement  was  celebrated  privately. 
On  the  evening  of  its  announcement,  when 
the  family  was  gathered  together,  the  Ge- 
heimrat,  who  had  feared  Hugo's  impetuous 
disposition,  and  who  now  saw  him  consent 
so  joyously,  gave  him  a  great  surprise,  too. 
This  day  on  which  his  daughter  was  to  be 
made  so  happy,  should  also  be  of  special 
significance  to  his  son.  He  announced  to 
Hugo  that  he  was  ready  to  interest  himself 
in  the  colonies  in  Palestine,  and  to  help  them 
financially.  With  overflowing  gratefulness 
Hugo  flung  his  arms  about  his  father,  and 
kissed  and  fondled  his  mother.  Rita  and 
Victor  declared  that  they  regarded  this  de- 
cision as  their  finest  betrothal  gift. 

Hugo  was  happy.  "  Then  I  may  dedicate 
myself  entirely  to  these  aims?  When  I 
have  passed  my  final  examinations?"  he 
said,  half  in  question  and  half  in  decision. 

Mr.    Benas    frowned    slightly :     "  That 

420 


THE  PATRIARCH 


means  I  must  give  not  only  my  millions  but 
also  my  son  to  the  cause  ?  "  The  words 
sounded  good-humored,  yet  as  though  he 
were  making  fun  of  himself.  "  That  is 
building  Utopia  at  heavy  expense  to  me." 

"  Zion,  father,  Zion,  wherever  it  may  be." 

"Noblesse  oblige"  Mrs.  Benas  inter- 
rupted. "  That  was  the  lesson  of  our  visit 
to  Uncle  Leopold's,  those  memorable  days 
under  the  shelter  of  the  Patriarch." 

"  Mamma  is  right,"  said  Victor.  "  And 
if  all  Jews  thought  and  acted  as  you 
have  done,  dear  father,  then  happiness  and 
hope  would  find  lodging  even  among  the 
unfortunate  members  of  our  persecuted  race, 
and  blessings  would  spring  up.  Where? 
Well,  the  world  is  so  big  and  so  great.  .  .  . 
Civilization  is  so  eager  to  conquer,  and 
Israel  so  persistent  and  enduring." 

His  tone  was  cordial,  convincing,  and 
soothing. 

Involuntarily  Rita  stepped  to  his  side,  and 
he  drew  her  gently  to  him. 
421 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  And  he  who  speaks  thus,  father,  is — " 
"  He  is  the  fiance  of  our  daughter,  of  your 
sister,    Hugo,"    Mr.    Benas    quickly    inter- 
rupted. 

*     *     * 

It  was  spring  time.  In  beauty  and  splen- 
dor the  spring  had  taken  possession  of  the 
earth !  In  youth,  joy,  and  glory  everything 
seemed  changed,  and  awakened  to  new  life 
by  the  sweet  kisses  of  the  sun.  Lovers  are 
peculiarly  sensitive  to  such  joy.  Entranced, 
Rita  and  Victor  were  looking  out  from  the 
terrace  of  the  house  upon  the  park,  which, 
in  its  green  attire,  lay  before  them  in  Easter 
splendor.  Victor  had  taken  Rita's  hand, 
and  held  it  in  silent  happiness. 

Hugo  approached  them  with  two  open 
letters  in  his  hand. 

"  Mother  said  I  should  find  you  here." 

"  Is  it  not  beautiful  here,  Hugo  ?  "  asked 
his  sister.    "  At  this  time  of  the  year  Berlin 
always  seems  wonderful  to  me,  especially 
out  here.    How  glorious  it  is !  " 
422 


THE  PATRIARCH 


He  paid  no  attention  to  her  remarks  and 
said :  "  I  looked  for  you  to  show  you  these 
letters,  one  from  Henry,  and  the  other  .  .  .*' 
He  looked  at  one  of  the  letters.  "  Elkish 
informs  me  that  he  has  decided  to  retire." 

Her  expression  became  sad  :  "  We  might 
have  foreseen  that,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice. 

"  He  wishes  to  return  with  his  sister  to 
his  home  in  Lissa." 

"What  does  father  say?" 

"  He  feels  he  must  accept  the  resignation, 
and  will,  of  course,  allow  him  a  proper  pen- 
sion." 

Victor  had  listened  in  silence  to  the  con- 
versation between  sister  and  brother. 

"  Is  he  an  old  retainer  of  your  house  ?  " 

'Rita  nodded  assent. 

"  Is  he  going  because  I  have  come?  Does 
his  fanaticism  drive  him  away?" 

"  Perhaps,  but  may  be  he  is  worn  out." 

It  was  apparent  from  the  tone  of  her 
voice  that  she  herself  had  no  faith  in  her 
reassuring  words. 

423 


THE  PATRIARCH 


"  O  no,"  said  Hugo,  "  he  goes  because  he 
can  no  longer  comprehend  us,  so  he  writes, 
and  he  does  not  wish  to  make  the  leave- 
taking  hard,  therefore  .  .  .  ." 

"He  does  not  wish  to  see  me  again?" 
Rita  cried  out  in  pain. 

Superiority  was  sharply  expressed  in  his 
countenance,  strong  self -consciousness,  un- 
tempered  by  sympathy.  Rita  looked  at 
Weilen  as  though  to  beg  his  pardon,  while 
Hugo's  serious  eyes  gazed  into  vacancy. 
For  several  minutes  there  was  silence,  then 
Dr.  Weilen  asked :  "  And  what  does  your 
friend  Rosenf eld  write  ?  " 

Hugo  breathed  freely,  as  if  a  burden  had 
been  lifted  from  off  his  soul.  "  He !  He 
wishes  you  joy  from  the  bottom  of  his 
heart.  He  is  delighted  to  hear  that  Rita  is 
happy."  Then  he  looked  over  the  letter  as 
if  searching  for  a  particular  passage. 
"  Here :  '  I  thank  you  for  the  news  of  your 
sister's  engagement.  Such  a  girl's  choice 
can  only  bring  happiness,  and  make  her 

424 


THE  PATRIARCH 


happy;  for  .truth  and  purity  are  united  in 
her,  and  such  natures  as  hers  are  sure  to 
find  what  is  right.  What  little  I  know  of 
Dr.  Weilen  warrants  this  assurance.  Dr. 
Weilen  seems  to  me  a  man  of  deep  insight 
and  fine  feeling,  in  whom  strength  and  ten- 
derness go  together — qualities  desirable  in 
the  husband  of  a  highly  intellectual  woman 
like  Rita.  Devout  in  her  tender  soul  and 
tolerant  in  her  clear  head,  that  is  her  person- 
ality. Her  mission  is  to  minister  to  the  hap- 
piness of  one  individual.  But  as  for  us, 
we  must  think  of  the  common  weal,  and  to 
it  we  will  dedicate  our  strength  and  our 
blood.  And  now  let  us  set  forth  on  the  road, 
even  though  it  be  wearisome.  Let  us  be 
up  and  doing.  .  .  .  Let  us  labor  in  behalf  of 
our  co-religionists."  He  folded  the  letter. 
"  Yes,  that  shall  be  our  mission." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benas  had  stepped  into  the 
door  and  stood  looking  at  their  children. 
They  had  overheard  Hugo's  last  words,  and 
they  appreciated  the  solemnity  of  the  mo- 

425 


THE  PATRIARCH 


ment.  And  the  consummation  of  their  hopes 
was  glorified  by  the  soft,  golden  radiance  of 
the  spring. 


426 


GLOSSARY 


GLOSSARY 


f.lll  words  given  below,  unless  otherwise  specified,  are 
Hebrew.  The  transliteration  aims  to  reproduce  the  collo- 
quial pronunciation  of  Hebrew  words  by  German  Jews.) 


AL  CHIT.  "  For  the  sin,"  be- 
ginning of  a  confession  of 
sins. 

AMHOREZ.     Ignoramus. 

AMRAZIM.  Plural  of  the  pre- 
vious word.  Ignoramuses. 

BAAL-MILCHOMOH.    Soldier. 

I'..-,  u.i:  I'.ATIM.  Householders. 
Substantial  and  respect- 
able members  of  the  com- 
munity, who  contribute  to 
Its  support. 

BAR-MITZVAH.  Religious  ma- 
jority, at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen, when  a  Jewish  lad  Is 
expected  to  take  all  re- 
ligious duties  upon  him- 
self. 

BEKOVKT.  Honorable ;  digni- 
fied. 

BESOM i M.  Spices,  used  at  the 
ceremony  of  Habdalah, 
marking  the  end  of  the 
Sabbath. 

BORCCH  HA-SHEU.  "  Blessed 
be  the  Name"  (of  God). 

CHAROSETH.  A  mixture  of 
apples,  raisins,  wine,  cin- 
namon, etc.,  used  at  the 
Seder,  symbolic  of  the 


mortar  which  the  Israel- 
ites prepared  In  Egypt. 

CHAS  VE-SHOLEM.  "  Mercy 
and  peace."  Heaven  for- 
bid! 

CHAVRDSSEH.  Society ;  com- 
pany. 

CHAZEN.     Cantor ;  precentor. 

CHOCHUES.  Wise  Ideas ; 
oversubtle  notions. 

ClIOMETZ     BATTELX.         To     dO 

away  with  all  leaven  (be- 
fore Passover). 

CHCTZPEH.  Arrogance ;  aa- 
dacity ;  impudence. 

DAVVENIXO  (?).  Reciting  the 
prayers  of  the  liturgy. 

EVADDE.  Assuredly ;  cer- 
tainly. 

FROMM  (Ger.).  Pious;  ob- 
servant (of  religious  and 
ritual  ceremonies). 

GEMOREH.     The  Talmud. 

GET.    A  bill  of  divorce. 

GOT.    A  non-Jew. 

KHII.I.K.  Jewish  congrega- 
tion ;  Jewish  community. 

KIDDCSH.  Sanctlficatlon ; 
the  ceremony  ushering  In 
the  Sabbath  or  a  holiday. 

KOSHER.    Rltually  permitted. 


429 


GLOSSARY 


MAASEH.  A  story ;  an  anec- 
dote. 

MAH  NISHTANEH  HA-LATLOH 
HAZEH.  "  What  distin- 
guishes this  night "  (from 
all  other  nights)  ;  the 
question  Introducing  the 
narrative  of  the  Exodus 
from  Egypt  In  the  Seder 
service  of  the  Passover 
nights. 

MAIRIV.     Evening  service. 

MALKEH.    Queen. 

MATZOTH.  Cakes  of  unleav- 
ened bread. 

MELECH.     King. 

MENORAH.  Candlestick  used 
on  Chanukkah  or  Sab- 
bath. 

MESHUGOE.     Crazy. 

MESHDMMED.     Apostate. 

MIKVEH.     Ritual  bath. 

MINCHAH.  Afternoon  ser- 
vice. 

MINTAN.  A  company  of  ten 
men,  the  minimum  for  a 
public  service. 

MISHPOCHEH.  Family  In  the 
wider  sense ;  collateral 
branches  as  well  as  direct 
descendants ;  kin. 

MOQEN  DOVID.  "  The  Shield 
of  David."  A  Jewish  em- 
blem. 

NAHHONIM  (Ger.  with  Heb. 
ending).  Fools. 

NEBBICH  (Slavic).  An  ex- 
pression of  pity.  Poor 
thing  !  Too  bad  ! 


430 


OMED.  Reading  desk  of  the 
cantor  In  the  synagogue. 

OSER.  "  Forbidden."  Ex- 
pression of  defiance :  You 
bet  I  won't ;  I'd  like  to 
catch  myself,  etc. 

OSHAMND      BOQADNC.         "  We 

have  trespassed,  we  have 
dealt  deceitfully."  First 
two  words  In  the  alpha- 
betic confession  of  sins. 

OVINU  MALKEND.  "  Our 
Father,  our  King."  Be- 
ginning of  the  lines  of  a 
well-known  prayer.  See 
next  word. 

OVINU  MALKENU  CHOSVENU 
BE-SEFER  PARNOSSOH  VE- 
CHALKOLOH.  "  Our  Father, 
our  King,  inscribe  us  In 
the  book  of  sustenance  and 
maintenance."  One  line  of 
a  well-known  prayer. 

PARCHONIM.  Riff-raff ;  small 
fry ;  vermin. 

PESACH.  Feast  of  Unleavened 
Bread;  Passover. 

PLEITEQEHER  (Heb.  and 
Ger.).  An  habitual  bank- 
rupt. 

POSHE  YISROEL.  "  A  sinner 
in  Israel " ;  one  who  dis- 
regards the  ceremonial  law 
of  Judaism. 

RAV.     Officiating  rabbi. 

REBBETZIN  (Heb.  with  Ger. 
suffix).  Wife  of  the  offi- 
ciating rabbi. 

ROSHEKOL.  Head  of  the 
Jewish  community. 


GLOSSARY 


SEDER.  Home  service  on  the 
first  two  nights  of  the 
Passover. 

SHABBES.     Sabbath. 

SHABBES  GOT.  A  non-Jew 
encaged,  often  by  all  the 
families  In  a  Jewish  con- 
gregation, to  do  work  for- 
bidden the  Jew  on  the 
Sabbath,  such  as  kindling 
a  fire,  etc. 

SHADCHEX.    Marriage  broker. 

SHAMMES.  Verger  ;  beadle  ; 
sexton. 

SBEITEL  (Ger.).  A  covering 
for  the  head,  to  hide  the 
hair  of  a  married  Jewess. 

SHEII  TisBORACn.  "  The 
Name  (of  God)  be 
blessed." 

SHEUA  YISROEL.  "  Hear,  O 
Israel  "  ;  beginning  of  the 
Jewish  confession  of  faith. 

SRICKSEL  (Heb.  with  Ger. 
suffix).  Drastic  expression 
for  a  non-Jewish  girl. 

SHIKKEH.  Habitual  drunk- 
ard. 

SHIVKH.  "  Seven  "  days  of 
mourning,  immediately 
after  a  death  occurs  In  a 
family. 

SHIVOH  OSER  BE-TAMCZ. 
"  Seventeenth  Day  of 
Tamuz  "  ;  a  fast  day  com- 
memorating the  first 
breach  In  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, who  took  the  Temple 
Itself  three  weeks  later. 


431 


SHXOBRZRS    (Ger.).  Beggars. 

SHOLOSH  SCOES.  The  third 
meal  on  the  Sabbath. 

SHCL  (Ger.).     Synagogue. 

SHULCHAN  ORCCH.  The  Jew- 
lab  code  of  ritual  laws, 
etc. 

SCKKOTH.  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles. 

TALLES.  Prayer-scarf. 

TALMID  CHOCHOH.  A  Jewish 
scholar,  learned  specifi- 
cally in  Jewish  lore. 

TASHLICH.  "  Thou  wilt 
cast  "  ;  ceremony  connected 
with  the  afternoon  of  the 
first  day  of  New  Year,  and 
observed  at  a  running 
stream  or  at  the  seashore. 

TREFA.  Rltually  unfit  for 
food. 

TZOBES.   Trials;  tribulations. 

WAIOESCHRIEEN  (Ger.).  Woe 
is  me. 

YEVORECHECHO  ADOXAT  VE- 
YISHMERECHO.  "May  the 
Lord  bless  thee  and  keep 
thee." 

YICHCS.  Aristocracy ;  good 
family  connections. 

YIDDISHKEIT  (Ger.).  Jewish- 
ness. 

YOM  KIPPCR.  Day  of  Atone- 
ment. 

YONTEF.    Holiday;  festival. 

ZECHEB  ZAODIK  LIVROCHOH. 
"  The  remembrance  of  the 
righteous  is  for  a  bless- 
ing." 

ZECHCS.     Merit ;  privilege. 

ZlCHRONO    LIVROCHOH.     "  Mis 

memory  la  for  a  blessing." 


BALTIMORE,  MD.,  C.  8.  A. 


